Chelsea May Switch Targets To Argentine Midfield Enforcer In Pursuit Of Fabregas Replacement

Chelsea May Switch Targets To Argentine Midfield Enforcer In Pursuit Of Fabregas Replacement

Chelsea are interested in signing Zenit St Peterburg midfielder Leandro Paredes, according to reports in Italy.

The Blues are looking for potential alternatives to Cesc Fabregas, who is expected to leave for Monaco before the end of the month.

The Spaniard has all but confirmed his departure on Instagram. When he was asked by a fan if he is excited about joining the Ligue One side, he replied “It’s exciting. Can’t wait.”

Cagliari’s Nicolo Barella was expected to be Chelsea’s primary target to replace Fabregas but the Italian side’s asking price is reportedly too steep, leading to the London club making a move for Paredes instead.

The Argentine moved to Zenit from Roma for €23m in August 2017, and he would be available for a lower fee than the £45m that Cagliari are demanding for Barella.

Paredes is still a first-team regular at this current club, but he would likely be interested in a move to the Premier League.

The 24-year-old generally plays in the holding midfield role and could prove to be a good deputy for Jorginho in Maurizio Sarri’s system.

David Tully

David Tully

David has worked as a football reporter for the last fifteen years. Having started as an intern at Snack Media, he then went on to become a freelancer, working on various different sites. At the start of 2023, he took up his current role as content writer for National World's Football News Network.