Enzo Maresca not only led Chelsea to a stunning Club World Cup victory this summer, but he also made a huge boost to his first team.
It’s something that impresses Stateside with Liam Delap and Joao Pedro, the latter scoring three points in three games, and Maresca is brewing something special at Stamford Bridge as Jamie Gittens and Estevao are ready to mark.
These signatures could prove essential if Chelsea wants to challenge the Premier League and Champions League next season, but the Italians are still hunting even more.
His centre-forward choices are now much more diverse, as is his wing choices, but Maresca must be keen to add another playmaker to his team.
Cole Palmer is great, but he can’t do it all himself. Not only that, but it could be difficult for the Blues to keep him next summer if the British continue to shine through future campaigns.
So signing another young man with the ability to grow is at the forefront of Maresca’s thinking.
That certain someone could turn out to be another version of Eden Hazard. His signature in 2012 paved the way for the Belgian to become one of the best offensive midfielders of his generation.
Why Eden Hazard is special
Chelsea’s position as a winner of the Summer 2012 Champions League certainly helped them pursue the finest talent.
Hazard helped Reel win League One in the 2010/11 campaign, but the following year’s performance caught Chelsea’s eye.
In fact, Winger scored 20 goals and scored 18 assists in League One, emerging as one of the continent’s brightest talents in the process.
Hazard settled well on the Blues, especially during Jose Mourinho’s second spell with the club between 2013 and 2015.
Mourinho wasn’t the only one who had the hazard shining. The winger was undoubtedly the key to Antonio Conte’s system, where the Blues won the league title in 2016/17. Even in his final season with the club, Hazard scored 21 goals and won his second Europa League Trophy.
Overall, the playmaker scored 110 goals and registered Chelsea 88 assists in 352 games.
Not only did his sublime dribbling ability, dynamism in the final third, and the dangers he loved by his supporters, he assured him that he would fall as a modern club legend.
It can be argued that since his departure for Real Madrid in 2019, Chelsea has not had a playmaker like him. Palmer was sensational, of course, but Hazard’s creativity and natural talent gave him a real joy to see him.
Will Maresca finally land Hazard 2.0 on the Blues in the coming weeks?
Chelsea’s Eye Movement for the Dutch Sensation
Maresca has focused on strengthening options in the final third of this summer, but since joining in 2023, the club hasn’t tried to add any more playmakers to their teams as Palmer has been running the rules beyond the 10th place position.
This could change soon, as the manager is keen to explore Zabi Simons’ moves, according to journalist Simon Phillips.
Through his material, Phillips discussed Chelsea’s interest in the Dutch, first declaring that while Arsenal was interested in the midfielder, they were instead focused on signing Crystal Palace star Ebeki Eze.
Phillips continues: “The source feels that Chelsea came and filmed Simons by the time it happened anyway. So this is certainly brewed and everything connects. Plus, our source was expected to make more enquiries at Simmons this week, as Simmons wants to join this window.
RB Leipzig’s starlet is valued at an astounding £95 million by his club, according to other reports.
Certainly it’s a lot of money, but if they can seal his signature, Maresca may have his own risk.
Why Chelsea must sign Zabi Simons
Hazard worked on the left flank for most of his career, but Simons showed many similarities to the Belgians. Especially with regard to the Leipzig display, where he played on the left and as an offensive midfielder.
Certainly, the Dutch can count dribbling, key passes and ball as his important strengths.
This reflects the skills Hazard used to demonstrate at Stamford Bridge over his seven years in London.
Last season, Simons scored 11 goals in all German competitions, earning eight assists in the process. Again, Hazard exudes a talent for being famous and becomes clinical in the last third.
Not only that, Simons ranked in the top 3% in through balls per 90 in the Bundesliga (0.96) compared to his positional peers.
Simons’ statistics in the Bundesliga last season | |
|---|---|
the goal | 10 |
assist | 7 |
Key Passes for each game | 2 |
A big opportunity has been created | 12 |
Dribbling was successful every game | 1.3 |
Shots for each game | 2 |
Via Sofascore | |
He’s only 22 years old, and Simons feels like he’s here forever. Last summer, respected analyst Ben Matinson not only welcomed young people as “superstars,” but also declared that he could become “one of the best in the future” just before the 2024 European Championship.
He has certainly proven his worth since then, and it is clear that his move to the Premier League will help him improve his reputation and improve further as a player.
If Maresca can land Simons in the coming weeks, it could be the final part of his offensive jigsawpa at Chelsea.
The comparison with Hazard is impressive. Can he have the same kind of influence as the Belgians? Only time can be seen.
Related
Palmer’s Repeat: Chelsea is now considering a move to sign a “immeasurable” £60m star
Chelsea attempts to repeat the magic of Cole Palmer’s sensational deal with this promising signature.
