I’m the captain of one of the biggest clubs in Europe – but now I could be on my way to Chelsea

Chelsea have wasted plenty of money since the current ownership took over at Stamford Bridge, but two of BlueCo’s better big-money signings - Moisés Caicedo and Enzo Fernández – have combined to create one of the best midfield pairings in the league. The problem, of course, is that they don’t have a great deal of depth behind them in the squad.

Roméo Lavia was meant to be the player who provided that depth, but with the Belgian incessantly sidelined by fitness issues, there is a distinct lack of cover in midfield, so it’s perhaps understandable that fresh rumours are linking Chelsea with a bid for an established Serie A star who could provide some fresh competition for Caicedo and Fernández while adding a dash of experience.

Caught Offside claim that Chelsea are one of several Premier League teams monitoring Juventus captain Manuel Locatelli ahead of a possible swoop – but why do the Blues want Locatelli, and is he a realistic transfer target for them?

Why are Chelsea among the teams chasing Manuel Locatelli?

Locatelli, who played for AC Milan and Sassuolo before he moved to Turin in 2021, is more akin to Caicedo as a player than he is to Fernández, although he backs up his hard graft and defensive rigidity with an excellent and precise passing range as well.

Although not noted as a technician or as a ball-carrier, Locatelli has a wonderful passing range and the vision to back it up, producing nearly three shooting opportunities per match for his team-mates over the past year and generating a massive number of balls into the box or over the top of opposing defences.

He’s a genuine creative presence who isn’t afraid to take chances with the ball in order to feed his forwards – but also accurate enough that he gives the ball away only infrequently, and usually wins it back afterwards. He doesn’t quite have Caicedo’s capacity to cover every last blade of grass, but his average of seven turnovers per game and a 57% success rate in the tackle makes his defensive solidity plain enough.

Locatelli, who was a member of the Italy squad that beat England at Wembley to win Euro 2020, offers Chelsea more of the same qualities that their current central midfield duo have – a mix of grit and the skill to spark quick and incisive attacks.

He would be an unusual signing in many ways given that he is 27 years old, and he would become the oldest player that Chelsea have signed in three years were he to move to Stamford Bridge in 2026. It would be a departure for a club that normally like to sign developing young talent and tie it down to an ultra-long contract.

But he has the playing profile they need, so it wouldn’t be a complete departure from their methodology. Still, is this a rumour which actually has any legs, and what would it take to make Juventus part with their captain?

Will a Premier League side sign Locatelli next summer?

Although it’s not expressly stated in Caught Offside’s report, it’s a reasonable assumption that Chelsea aren’t expecting a team targeting trophies to part with their captain in January, so this is likely a deal that would take place next summer.

There are no contractual issues in play, with Locatelli tied down until 2028, but the report still suggests that the asking price wouldn’t be too steep – it’s claimed that Old Lady would accept €40m (£35m) despite his importance to the club.

There are no suggestions that Locatelli is pushing for a move away from the Allianz Stadium, nor that the team are keen to move on from a player who has started every match for them in Serie A so far this season, so this wouldn’t necessarily be a deal that was quite as easy to get done as the report makes it out to be, but Chelsea have demonstrated that they will pay top dollar to get the players they want, even if they are usually five years younger.

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The report also alleges interest from elsewhere in the Premier League, with Newcastle United, Aston Villa and West Ham United supposedly keen along with Bayer Leverkusen. Competition could also make it trickier to get a transfer over the line.

Predicting moves that won’t happen for the better part of a year seldom yields positive results, but this would normally be a difficult deal to do, albeit not one that is impossible. The bigger question, however, is less about its feasibility than about whether Chelsea are genuinely interested in a player who is much closer to 30 than most of their new signings.