Highlights
Leeds United midfielder Tyler Adams has “crept onto” Chelsea’s radar this summer as they look to bring in some midfield reinforcements, according to Ben Jacobs.
The Blues are looking light in terms of midfield options as it stands.
What is the latest Chelsea transfer news?
The Blues have been engaged in a summer long transfer saga regarding their midfield.
Brighton and Hove Albion’s Moises Caicedo has been the subject of multiple rejected offers from Chelsea throughout this summer, with David Ornstein revealing that the most recent £80m offer, which was structured as £75m guaranteed and £5m in add-ons was the Blues fourth unsuccessful bid by the London club, with the previous three unsuccessful bids being £60m, £65m and £70m. The report also states that the player’s desire is to move to the London club and that personal terms will not be an issue as positive discussions have already taken place regarding the matter, however Brighton do not want to sell the midfielder unless their £100m asking price is met, despite pushes from Caicedo’s entourage to lower the price.
As such, Chelsea could move onto alternative targets, with Football Insider reporting that the Blues could attempt to hijack Liverpool’s deal to sign Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, with the Blues willing to offer more money than the Reds. However, the player is reportedly set on a move to Merseyside, so a switch to Stamford Bridge may not materialise despite Chelsea’s longstanding interest in the Belgian.
Another player the Blues are considering is Leeds midfielder Adams. The USA international reportedly has a £20m release clause that became active the moment the Yorkshire side suffered relegation, and despite Leeds planning to keep the midfielder at Elland Road for this upcoming Championship campaign, Adams has reportedly stated his desire to leave the club this summer in order to continue to play at the highest level.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jacobs revealed that despite Chelsea still focusing on completing the deal for Caicedo, Adams has “crept onto their radar” as manager Mauricio Pochettino hopes to bring in some experience.
He said: “The interesting one, because it’s a later thing and Adams has crept onto their radar, is Chelsea. They know that they need some Premier League proven quality, and they’ve been chasing Moises Caicedo all window. They continue to do that, so this isn’t a case yet of giving up on Caicedo. Talks are active. The feeling still remains with Caicedo that maybe that one eventually gets done. It’s a bit of a game whilst there’s time in the window, but are Chelsea eventually going to pay up or are Brighton & Hove Albion eventually going to drop their price? Nobody has walked away yet, but who is to say that Chelsea won’t bring in two midfielders because Pochettino has still spoken about needing experience.”
Would Tyler Adams be a good signing?
The American, whose qualities make him “captaincy material”, could be a really solid pickup for Chelsea.
Despite Leeds suffering relegation last season, the 24-year-old impressed many across his 24 appearances for the Yorkshire club, averaging a rating of 6.73 according to WhoScored. The defensive midfielder compares incredibly well to midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues, sitting in the top 1% for tackles per 90, the top 3% for blocks per 90 and the top 16% for interceptions based on his 2066 minutes played according to FBref.
The player has received high praise across the last season, with journalist James Marshment likening the midfielder to a lion on the pitch, stating “Tyler Adams – a lion on the pitch; a dignified, intelligent, humble and politically savvy person off it. He’ll go a long way that lad.”
Should Chelsea add the midfielder, he could be a fantastic rotation option across multiple roles across both midfield and defence, having played in seven different positions in his career according to Transfermarkt.