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Chelsea now readying hijack to sign £44m ‘Gabriel & Saliba hybrid’
They aren’t the finished project, but Chelsea have built an impressive squad over the last few years.
The likes of Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernández, Cole Palmer, Estevao and Reece James, for example, would get into most Premier League teams.
However, if there is one weakness in the side, it’s probably at centre-back, as without Levi Colwill and Wesley Fofana, the options at Enzo Maresca’s disposal aren’t all that inspiring.
Fortunately, Chelsea have been linked with an impressive defender who has been compared to William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães.
Chelsea target defensive reinforcements
The transfer is over a month away, but Chelsea are already being linked with some incredible players from the Premier League and beyond.
For example, the Blues have been among a handful of sides credited with significant interest in Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, and have even been linked with Juventus wonderkid Kenan Yıldız.
However, while both players would most certainly improve Maresca’s squad, they wouldn’t improve the centre-back depth, unlike Ousmane Diomande.
Yes, according to a recent report from TEAMtalk, Chelsea have reignited their interest in the up-and-coming Sporting CP star.
In fact, the report goes further, revealing that the West Londoners are planning to hijack Crystal Palace’s move for the Ivorian international.
However, to do that, the Pensioners would have to match or even exceed the Eagles’ supposed bid of around £44m.
It could therefore be a complicated and somewhat costly transfer to get over the line, but given Diomande’s ability, potential, and the fact he’s been compared to Saliba and Gabriel, it’s one Chelsea should pursue.
How Diomande compares to Saliba and Gabriel
Now, while Chelsea fans might not want to admit it, and understandably so, Saliba and Gabriel have been the best centre-back pairing in the Premier League for at least a season now.
Therefore, it’s a huge claim to suggest another defender is like a combination of the two, a claim respected analyst Ben Mattinson made when he described Diomande as “a hybrid between Gabriel and Saliba” just last year.
Now, when it comes to the Brazilian, the similarities are rather difficult to miss, as while he’s just an inch shorter, the Ivorian international is still a titan of a player at 6 foot 3.
This stature allows the 21-year-old “monster,” in the words of Mattinson, to overpower opposition attackers and put in challenges that a more slight centre-back would find difficult.
How about the Frenchman, then? What makes the Abidjan-born star similar to him?
Well, despite his impressive physicality, the former Midtjylland gem is no slouch on the ball and has a passing range most defenders could only dream of.
Moreover, according to FBref, the Arsenal star was statistically the most similar centre-back to the Sporting man across last season’s Champions League.
|
Dioamnde & Saliba |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Statistic per 90 |
Dioamnde |
Saliba |
|
Non-Penalty Expected G+As |
0.01 |
0.03 |
|
Progressive Carries |
0.36 |
0.36 |
|
Passing Accuracy |
93.2% |
92.2% |
|
Expected Assists |
0.01 |
0.01 |
|
Live Passes |
58.8 |
56.5 |
|
Interceptions |
0.96 |
0.91 |
|
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 UCL Season |
||
You can gain a better understanding of how FBref arrived at this conclusion by examining the underlying metrics that the pair ranked closely.
These metrics included non-penalty expected goals plus assists, progressive carries, passing accuracy, expected assists, live passes, interceptions, and more, all per 90.
Ultimately, while he is still young and untested in the top leagues, Diomande looks like an exceptional talent, and given his similarities to Gabriel and Saliba, Chelsea should be doing all they can to sign him.
Forget Delap: 18-year-old star is destined to be Chelsea’s future number 9
The incredible youngster will be a superstar for England and Chelsea.
