It remains difficult to judge Xabi Alonso.
Just last week, he went crashing out of the Carabao Cup against a much-changed Liverpool side on penalties, before shrugging it off by admitting that he has bigger fish to fry. That big fish then turned up to Chelsea a wounded carp which had already been caught one too many times this season.
Whilst they struggled against Liverpool, Chelsea shoved Manchester United aside to climb back into the top four. Yet again it was the Morgan Rogers show and, yet again, fans in West London came away dreaming about a future under Alonso rather than the creeping concern they felt just days earlier.
This is a work in progress, that is the only certainty, and it will remain that until another midfielder arrives.
Why Chelsea are targeting a midfield boost in January
The name Lamine Camara must send eye rolls around Stamford Bridge. Even months later, it still feels absurd that the AS Monaco man is not a Chelsea player.
He was in London, with personal terms and price-tag agreed. All that was left was a signature on the dotted line, only for Monaco to pull the plug, then scramble to green-light it again when Folarin Balogun’s move to Everton fell through, before running out of time. It was an absolute mess.
Since then, however, the focus hasn’t entirely changed. Although Jordan Henderson is doing an admirable job next to Moises Caicedo, Chelsea will be more aware than anyone that the 36-year-old is not a permanent solution.
That is why names like Alex Scott are on their radar. The Blues are reportedly readying a move to sign the Bournemouth star in the January transfer window, with some rumours even suggesting that Alonso has already convinced the Englishman to join.
It’s easy to see why Alonso is such a fan of Scott, too. The 23-year-old out sprints Henderson and, more importantly, makes more line-breaking passes per 90 minutes.
In the Bournemouth man, Chelsea would have yet another supply-line for their talented front three of Cole Palmer, Rogers and Joao Pedro.
That’s not to say Scott is the only solution, though. Elsewhere, Chelsea are also targeting a player who can kill two birds with one stone in 2027.
How Chelsea can sign even better player than Scott
After the disastrous end to the summer transfer window when Camara ended his evening on a plane back to Monaco, Chelsea have opened their search up to multiple options ahead of 2027.
Whilst Scott is certainly a target, he’s also on the radar of rival clubs like Liverpool. It’s forced those in West London to consider a number of other targets as they look to hand Alonso a permanent midfield solution one way or another.
One of the names on their radar as a result is Myles Lewis-Skelly. According to Blues insider Simon Phillips, Chelsea have made contact with Lewis-Skelly’s representatives about a potential move across the London divide.
“Chelsea have looked at him in the last couple of windows, and they have actually made contact and spoke to his agents. So, this is a player that they are definitely very keen on – it’s Myles Lewis-Skelly from Arsenal. So, he is one of the players on this list, but he’s one that we have tracked before.”
It would be a repeat of the move that Ashley Cole made many moons ago, before he cemented his place as the best left-back that the Premier League has ever seen.
Now, Lewis-Skelly can enjoy a similar rise by moving to Chelsea in controversial fashion. Out of all the options, the England international would actually be even better than Scott.
He would provide cover at left wing-back for Alonso and step into midfield on a permanent basis, having done so with great success at Arsenal in the last eight months. So good has the 20-year-old been that The Athletic’s Aaron Catterson-Reid described him as “a £100m footballer.”
Premier League per 90 26/27 | Scott | Lewis-Skelly |
|---|---|---|
Minutes | 446 | 432 |
Distance covered | 11.7 km | 10.9 km |
Chances created | 2.22 | 0.63 |
Line-breaking passes | 9.28 | 11.04 |
Touches in opposition box | 3.03 | 1.88 |
Touches | 71.23 | 75.21 |
The numbers highlight exactly why Chelsea should target Lewis-Skelly instead of Scott. It’s all about control; control which Chelsea have lacked since the start of the season.
Whilst Scott has been more than happy to crash into the penalty area, create chances and help trigger Marco Rose’s press at Bournemouth, Lewis-Skelly has acted as a metronome for Arsenal. His influence comes from deep, completing more line-breaking passes and more overall touches with fewer coming inside the area.
That is what Chelsea need, especially as their electric front three carries the load going forward. All they are looking for is protection behind them. That’s what Lewis-Skelly would provide in full.
Source: www.footballfancast.com
