Chelsea are enjoying their best run in the last two years under new manager Antonio Conte and the Italian is looking to further bolster his squad coming January. Chelsea’s attack has been pretty consistent so far with their manager largely sticking to the same core of players.
The Blues have enjoyed quite an injury-free run in their last few months with almost all first-team players ready for selection and something tells us that the Blue Brigade might face a slump when injuries and suspensions creep in few weeks down the line when the schedule turns more hectic.
Conte can already smell the problem it seems, as reportedly, he is planning a move for Serie A winger Diego Laxalt. The Genoa wideman has shown glimpses of brilliance at times and Conte believes he can nurture the 23-year-old into something great as has been the case with Victor Moses.
Laxalt plays on the left and the Uruguayan came up through the ranks of several clubs before finally cementing his place in Genoa. He has had loan spells at Bologna and Empoli before moving to Genoa. He moved there on a temporary basis before signing on a permanent deal in July of this year.
Although Genoa haven’t been very vocal about letting their star winger go, Laxalt’s agent Vincenzo D’Ippolito has revealed that Chelsea boss Conte has a long-standing interest in the player. He said, “Genoa believe in him, but they are always open to selling their players for the right offer. Conte had been scouting Laxalt when he was in Italy and he’d love to take Laxalt to Chelsea now.”
Laxalt has scored once and registered two assists in sixteen appearances so far, but it is his defensive contribution along with the offensive elements that make him a hot prospect around Europe. And Conte is bound to like the player, as he seems more than perfect to fit in his puzzle of three-man defence operating with wing backs. His versatility can also allow him to play as a central midfielder if needed.
With an average passing accuracy of 78%, Laxalt wins 45% of his average duels. Although his 178cm frame doesn’t make him an ideal wing back for the English Premier League, which is characterised with high pressing and heavy tackles, a technically rich defender could run his trade everywhere. He would definitely be needing matches under his belt to adapt faster and Conte looks like the perfect manager to provide him with that.
