Chelsea have reportedly ramped up their efforts to beat Manchester United and Arsenal in the race to sign Olympique de Marseille midfielder Darryl Bakola, as per Caught Offside.
On paper, the Blues have a deep midfield department as they currently have Moisés Caicedo, Enzo Fernández, Romeo Lavia, Dario Essugo, and Andrey Santos.
However, Lavia hasn’t been able to stay fit since joining from Southampton, while Essugo has been out injured since the start of this season. Moreover, Santos is still young, and Enzo Maresca hasn’t given him many starts so far this term.
As a result, Caicedo and Fernandez have been playing almost every game, while Maresca has used Recce James in the engine room to support the duo.
So, it appears Chelsea are planning to sign a new midfielder in January and are willing to continue their strategy of recruiting talented young players rather than pursuing an experienced name.
Now, Caught Offside claim that after monitoring Bakola’s performances in recent months, Chelsea have identified him as a serious option to strengthen the midfield. They have already stepped up their efforts to finalise the operation.
However, purchasing the 18-year-old won’t be straightforward for the West London club as Arsenal are also keen on him and could make a formal move.
Battle
Furthermore, Manchester United, Newcastle United, and Manchester City are in this race. Outside of the Premier League, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, Bayern Munich, and Borussia Dortmund are contemplating making a move.
Although Bakola’s existing deal is set to expire in 2027, Marseille have no intention of letting him leave and are planning to hand him a fresh term until 2030. However, if both parties fail to agree on a fresh term over the coming weeks, Roberto De Zerbi’s side might be forced to cash-in on him next year.
With Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes out injured, Man Utd are seemingly keen on purchasing a new midfielder. On the other hand, Casemiro’s existing deal will expire at the end of this season.
Arsenal, meanwhile, have a strong midfield department, and it would be difficult for Bakola to find regular game time if he were to move to the Emirates Stadium.
It remains to be seen whether Chelsea, Arsenal, or Man Utd eventually make a concrete approach to secure his service.
