Chelsea have “shortlisted” three midfielders as they line up potential replacements for N’Golo Kante and Jorginho, according to the Evening Standard‘s Nizaar Kinsella.
The newspaper’s Blues correspondent claims that PSV Eindhoven’s Ibrahim Sangare, Ajax’s Edson Alvarez and Southampton’s Romeo Lavia could all be targeted in future transfer windows:
Chelsea close in on £53m deal to sign RB Leipzig star Nkunku in huge transfer coup
✍️ @NizaarKinsella https://t.co/3USP3dRwy1
— Standard Sport (@standardsport) October 3, 2022
Both Kante and Jorginho have contracts that expire at the end of the season so it is no surprise that Graham Potter’s side are putting contingency plans in place if they lose two key first-team players.
Offers were reportedly made for Sangare, Alvarez and Lavia before the transfer deadline last month and it appears Chelsea’s interest in the trio has by no means cooled.
Out of the three, Lavia is probably the most difficult to secure, considering he only joined Southampton in the summer and his previous team, Manchester City, have a buyback clause.
Sangare, meanwhile, has been scouted by the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle so there could be some competition for the Ivorian’s signature. Alvarez could prove the most expensive, with Ajax having rejected a €50m bid from the Blues already.