Chelsea are currently on the hunt for an “exceptional” new midfielder who has been compared to Kevin De Bruyne.
Blues keen to sign new midfielder
The Blues want to sign another central midfielder before the February 2 deadline and a number of targets have been identified, most recently making contact over the signing of Juventus’ Douglas Luiz, who is currently on loan at Nottingham Forest.
Luiz has struggled with injuries this season and has found it difficult to feature for Forest, but Sean Dyche recently revealed he is a fan of the Brazilian, saying: “He’s a very good player. When we played him in Europe (before Christmas), I said we probably rushed him back, but because of his experience he used it wisely and came back.”
“It’s not surprising that other clubs are interested in good players. That’s the nature of the business.”
Although the former Aston Villa player has often featured in a defensive role throughout his career, Catch Offside reports that Chelsea are also keen on signing a more attacking-minded midfielder and are currently in the race to sign Borussia Dortmund’s Felix Nmeka.
Interest from the Blues is said to be at an early stage, with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur also mentioned as potential candidates, so there is likely to be a bidding war over his signature.
However, one source added that Dortmund have no intention of allowing him to leave for less than €60m to €65m (£52m to £56m).The club’s board want to secure his long-term future, and his current contract runs until 2028 and does not include a release clause. Dortmund are determined to keep him and are considering improving terms to fend off a Premier League approach.
Nmeka could be an ‘exceptional’ signing for Chelsea
The Hamburg-born maestro showed his attacking quality, scoring five goals and providing three assists in 28 games in all competitions, and found the back of the net three times in the Champions League.
Given his front-foot ability, the Dortmund star has even been compared to De Bruyne by Jacek Krig, with the scout also praising the German’s speed, passing, vision and dribbling.
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The youngster enjoyed a breakthrough season.
The maestro’s defensive qualities were also on display in Dortmund’s 3-0 Bundesliga victory over Werder Bremen earlier this month, when he made a number of key contributions.
Felix Nmeka’s key stats against Werder Bremen | completed number |
tackle | 3 |
intercept | 3 |
Ground duel (victory) | 5(3) |
exact path | 44/48 (92%) |
Hailed as “exceptional” by former Dortmund manager Nuri Sahin, Nmeka has proven he could be a quality signing for Chelsea with his performances in both the Champions League and Bundesliga this season, and Bruko should consider paying the German club’s high asking price.
