Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Yasin Ayari, as per TEAMtalk.
Despite letting Andrey Santos, Dario Essugo and Enzo Fernández leave this summer, the Blues only signed Jordan Henderson and Valentin Barco.
So, Xabi Alonso currently has the duo plus Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia as specialist deeper midfield options. However, the Belgian has had numerous fitness problems since joining from Southampton, while Barco is still very young and needs time to develop.
Henderson, meanwhile, has reached the twilight of his career. So, the Spanish boss has used Malo Gusto and Reece James in the engine room, although they are right-backs by trait. James, on the other hand, has been out injured in recent weeks.
So, it appears Chelsea are considering strengthening the midfield department next year. TEAMtalk state that Alonso’s side have identified AFC Bournemouth star Alex Scott as a primary target, but they are also interested in Ayari.
The Blues have been keeping a close eye on his situation before making a potential swoop. The Swedish international has entered the final few months of his current contract, with Brighton having an option to extend the deal for a year further.
The Seagulls don’t want to part ways with him and are keen to tie him down to a fresh term. However, despite holding talks over the last few months, the two parties have failed to reach an agreement.
Ayari to Chelsea
The report state that Brighton don’t want to let Ayari leave for cheap if they are forced to cash-in in January and want around £42m[€50m].
Apart from Chelsea, Galatasaray, Fenerbahce and AC Milan have tracked Ayari’s progress closely for some time. Moreover, Newcastle United, Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool have expressed their interest in him.
Ayari is a versatile midfielder as he can play anywhere across the middle of the park. He is quick, technically sound, can play threading passes between the lines, is efficient in playing long-range passes, and has an eye for scoring goals from distance.
The 23-year-old is a Premier League-proven player and hasn’t reached his prime yet. Therefore, he might be a shrewd acquisition for Chelsea should they eventually manage to secure his services in January or next summer.
