Chelsea Eye Move For Highly-Rated 23-Year-Old To Replace Club Legend

The summer transfer window is now closed for another year so it’s time to look back on those deals that didn’t go through and those that are being lined-up for the future. Today, Chelsea are  linked with two English youngsters…

Chelsea are eyeing moves for Middlesbrough’s Ben Gibson and Burnley’s Michael Keane as Antonio Conte starts to plan for life without long-serving skipper John Terry, according to the Daily Mail.

Terry has been at Stamford Bridge his entire senior career having come through the clubs youth system and has solidified himself as a Chelsea legend after leading them to whole host of honours including 4 Premier League titles and the Champions League.

However, after making over 700 appearances for the Blues, Terry turns 36 in December and is expected to finally leave the west Londoners at the end of the season leaving Conte with a huge void to fill at the back.

Chelsea did splash out big money re-signing David Luiz from Paris Saint-Germain on deadline day but with the Brazilian approaching 30 and Gary Cahill pushing 31, Conte needs to start thinking about the long-term.

Due to the Premier League’s homegrown player regulations, the Daily Mail claim that Chelsea have begun an intensive scouting drive to try and uncover the best British centre-backs in the country to help them comply with the rules.

The newspaper says that Michael Keane has been identified as a real prospect following glowing reviews from club scouts who’ve been tracking his progress since he came through the Manchester United youth academy.

The 23-year-old failed to make the breakthrough at Old Trafford and following a series of loans, the centre-back eventually joined Burnley on a permanent basis last January and he’s developed in to a superb defender during his time at Turf Moor.

Keane is now enjoying his first season in the Premier League and is thought to be on the verge of a full England call-up having been a regular with the Under-21’s with 16 caps to his name so far.

I’m sure Burnley will do all they can to try and hang on to Keane so the Daily Mail claim that Chelsea have also identified Middlesbrough’s Ben Gibson as a potential transfer target.

The 23-year-old has been with Boro his entire career and is also playing in his first full season in the top flight having helped the north east club win promotion from the Championship last season.

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Gibson is also a regular with the England Under-21’s and is pushing for a call-up to Sam Allardyce’s full squad, so either he or Keane would be excellent additions to the Chelsea squad if they were able to get a deal done in January or next summer.