Chelsea are currently in the race to sign Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliott Anderson, who is being targeted by a number of Premier League clubs.
The Blues are already rich with options in midfield and Moises Caicedo’s performance in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur was praised by manager Enzo Maresca.
Maresca said: “He’s at the top. We rate him on the pitch, but certainly the best thing about Moi, as I’ve said many times, is that he’s very humble and a very good guy. He’s always there to help everyone.”
“For me, he and Rodri are two of the best defensive midfielders in the world at the moment.”
The Ecuadorian has formed a partnership with Enzo Fernandes in the engine room, with Reece James able to step into the midfield if needed, and produced a solid performance against Tottenham, with a SofaScore match rating of 7.6, the second highest of any Chelsea player.
However, Bruco has emerged as a potential candidate for the Premier League star and remains keen to further strengthen Maresca’s midfield options…
Chelsea to watch in Elliott Anderson’s race
According to a report from Caught Offside, Chelsea are the team to watch in the race to sign Nottingham Forest midfielder Anderson, with the England international attracting interest from a number of top Premier League clubs.
Newcastle United, Manchester United and Manchester City are also interested in the central midfielder, who is now worth £70m, rather than the previously reported £120m.
However, the Blues may need to act quickly as Ruben Amorim is a personal favorite and Man United are also set to step up efforts to sign the 22-year-old in January.
It’s no surprise that interest in the Nottingham Forest star is growing, given his eye-catching performances for both club and country this season.
The Englishman was particularly impressive in the Three Lions’ 5-0 win over Serbia, completing 75 passes, the second most of any player, and continued his seven-game win over Manchester United on Saturday.
The former Newcastle United man, who is represented by the same agent as Liam Delap, is clearly a well-rounded midfielder, as evidenced by his performance in several key metrics over the past year.
statistics | Average around 90 |
tackle | 2.89 (88th percentile) |
aerial won | 1.62 (83rd percentile) |
successful take-up | 1.22 (91st percentile) |
assist | 0.14 (75th percentile) |
Hailed as “incredible” by journalist Myles Starforth, the Whitley Bay-born midfielder clearly has the qualities to succeed at Stamford Bridge, but it is probably an unnecessary signing given the options already available to Maresca.
Fernandes and Caicedo form a solid partnership at the base of midfield, so it may be difficult for Anderson to force his way into the wings, given that he often plays deep in midfield.
