After making a slow start to their transfer activities, Chelsea do not look like they will stop anytime soon. After bringing in the likes of Alvaro Morata, Antonio Rudiger and Tiemoue Bakayoko in a space of two weeks, the Blues are now linked with highly-rated Brazilian Richarlison.
The 20-year-old forward has earned some rave reviews at the back of a thunderous display in the Brazilian league where he plays for Fluminense, and a lot of top clubs in Europe are now eyeing a move for him. And if reports are to be believed, Eredivisie side AFC Ajax have personally agreed to a five-year deal for the winger. However, the London club is now reported to have stepped in and trying to hijack the deal.
However, although Chelsea’s lure will be a bigger one than the Dutch giants, there are other sides in his pursuit who would make it difficult to land him. According to his agent, Renato Velasco Serie A giant Inter Milan and Premier League side Manchester United are also in for the player.
Speaking to FCInterNews.it, Velasco said, “Yes, there is interest from a few clubs in your country. Inter and Sampdoria, yes, but not the Rossoneri, at least not right now. The truth is that he is ready to play for any club, big or small and there is a lot of speculation around him. He is talking about Italy, but also England and Holland.”
Chelsea have successfully brought in Alvaro Morata as the replacement for Diego Costa in the centre forward role. And as far as his backup is concerned, Belgian international Michy Batshuayi had a phenomenal game against Arsenal in the pre-season friendly in Japan scoring a brace with absolutely world class goals.
Hence, Richarlison will need more than a hefty wage to arrive at Stamford Bridge. The 20-year-old, who managed to score 11 goals from 29 games for Fluminese so far in 2017, is very unlikely to sit on the bench. Chelsea’s three-man defence setup doesn’t have much space for a winger as wing-backs take care of much of the duty on the flanks.
Hence, forward remains the only feasible option for the Nova Venécia-born player. The left winger can also play on the right wing apart from the centre forward position but attacking-midfield hasn’t been a very strong suit for him. And the 179cm, he is also seen quite weak in aerial duels. His phenomenal dribbling ability has mostly termed him as a one-trick pony, so Chelsea might be best served to look elsewhere.
