Chelsea propose swap deal to sign Federico Valverde

Chelsea have submitted an offer to sign the Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde in an exchange deal involving Reece James, according to a report from Defensa Central.

However, it looks like it will be difficult for the Blues to land the South American. The report claims that the Spanish giants have responded to the offer from the Premier League club and made it clear they are reluctant to part ways with Valverde. 

The 25-year-old Uruguayan midfielder has established himself as one of the best players in the world and he has been instrumental to Real Madrid’s success in recent seasons. The midfielder is still relatively young and he will only improve further with coaching and experience. 

Los Blancos need to hold on to their best players if they want to keep winning major trophies and Valverde is certainly an indispensable asset for the club. Very few midfielders in the world are as complete as the €100 million-rated (£87m) South American in terms of skillset right now and Real Madrid would struggle to replace him. 

There is no doubt that they need a quality right-back as well and Reece James would have been a superb addition for them. Dani Carvajal needs to be replaced and James would have been the ideal long-term alternative. However, losing Valverde to sign the defender would not benefit the Spanish giants. 

Chelsea need Valverde

The South American midfielder is versatile enough to operate as a central midfielder, a defensive midfielder, a winger as well as a full-back. He is capable of contributing at both ends of the pitch and the Uruguayan has been one of the first names on the team sheet in recent seasons.

Chelsea could certainly use a world-class player like him in the middle of the park and he could transform them in the midfield. However, Real Madrid do not need to sell players and Chelsea are unlikely to be able to tempt them. In addition to that, they might not be able to convince the player either, especially without the lure of Champions League football.