Why Chelsea want to sign “France’s best midfielder”

Chelsea want to get involved in the midfield melee this summer, with Premier League outfits launching any number of moves to sign talented sixes and eights ahead of the new campaign.

Though the Blues’ job has been made considerably tougher by their tenth-place finish last season, they remain one of the largest outfits, and with Xabi Alonso now at the helm, there is quiet about Stamford Bridge that this could be the start of a dynasty.

However, like their rivals, Chelsea need an elite midfielder to super-charge Alonso’s system. Efforts to sign the veteran Granit Xhaka are proving difficult, but they have agreed a remarkable £117m deal to sign Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa. That one was done out of nowhere.

A bolt from the blue, Chelsea will welcome one of England’s biggest talents to Stamford Bridge next season, and he could be a game-changer at the start of the Alonso era.

What Morgan Rogers will bring to Chelsea

Rogers, 23, has been described as “one of the world’s best” by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp, and he will bring to Chelsea flair and power and such intensity as an attacking runner.

Since joining Aston Villa from Middlesbrough for around £8m in January 2024, Rogers has indeed developed into a superstar, instrumental in the title-winning rise of Unai Emery’s outfit.

He is a potent and unpredictable attacker, and Chelsea’s frontline will only improve with him in the team.

He can play as a ten, but Rogers is also an electric option out on the left, which means he could, in effect, replace Alejandro Garnacho, who has been slated to leave Stamford Bridge this summer after a stop-start year.

By all accounts, Chelsea have signed Rogers with the intention of principally playing him out on the left, so to accomodate Cole Palmer in the centre. The two, good friends, have contrasting skill sets which could be pivotal in firing the Blues back into the ascendancy, but they still need more in the centre of the field.

Chelsea in talks to sign France star

Chelsea may have to resign themselves to the fact that they might not land a Enzo Fernandez replacement who can match his skill and tenacity on the ball.

The Argentina international is one of the best in the business, but if Rogers and Palmer click together next year, Chelsea might not need a like-for-like change, and instead could target a different shade of midfield profile.

However, they could sign an industrious new midfielder to help lift Alonso’s vision off the ground, with France international Manu Kone emerging as a top target.

According to TEAMtalk, Chelsea are neck-and-neck with Manchester United in the race to sign Kone from Roma, with the all-action midfielder available for around £51m this summer.

It’s important to stress that United are currently in the thick of plans to strengthen their engine room, so there is no time to waste for the Chelsea persuasion, who are, in fact, expected to lodge a formal bid in the coming days.

Kone would be worth the hassle. While he is not cut from the same cloth as Fernandez from a tactical standpoint, he is undeniably emerging as one of the toughest and most secure midfielders on the market, and he would reinforce Alonso’s system with the balance it needs in the middle of the park.

Rogers would certainly benefit. The Three Lions star’s ability on the ball and potency when he gets into dangerous positions makes him a dangerous adversary for any opponent, but with Kone mopping up in the middle, he could end up playing a perfect role in Fernandez’s absense.

France failed to make their dominance throughout the tournament count against Spain, who beat them in the semi-final, but Kone was up against it in a three-versus-two midfield battle. It was a blunder on Didier Deschamps’ part, and Kone has still been “France’s best midfielder at this World Cup“, according to pundit Rio Ferdinand.

It was simply an extension of his domestic form with Roma in Serie A. Kone played a crucial role in helping the Romans to their first Champions League-qualifying finish in Serie A for nine years, completing 90% of his passes and 62% of his dribbles, also winning 5.3 duels per game.

He is a “monstrous box-to-box midfielder“, according to talent scout Jacek Kulig, and exactly what the Blues need to counter the potential loss of Fernandez, securing a like-minded partner for Moises Caicedo and perhaps creating a foundation from which Cole Palmer can search for the world-class form that eluded him under Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior last year.

Kone is the real deal, and as Man United ramp up their interest, Chelsea better get that bid in quickly, replicating their flashy lunge to sign Rogers.