Chelsea are out of the UEFA Champions League following a round of 16 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, and they need a very strong end to the season to be able to play in the European Cup next season.
Having said that, irrespective of whether or not the Blues finish in the top four or five of the Premier League, their squad needs a revamp and this summer, it is likely that they will be focussing on rebuilding their defence.
Mark Brus has reported that Chelsea are interested in signing Pau Cubarsi from Barcelona. The youngster has developed impressively under Hansi Flick over the last couple of years and has become a key player in the La Liga side’s plans.
Arsenal are also keen on signing the central defender, according to the source, so Chelsea will face competition for his services. Cubarsi is valued at £70 million on Transfermarkt and has a contract at Barca till 2029, so he will not be easy to acquire.
Chelsea set to hold upper hand for Cubarsi
Pau Cubarsi at only 19 years of age has become of La Liga’s best centre backs and having gone from strength to strength at Barcelona, it comes as no surprise that Arsenal and Chelsea are vying for his signing.
His intelligent defensive anticipation, composure in one-on-one situations and physicality, combined with elite ball-playing ability make him a terrific long-term option and Cubarsi has all that it takes to live up to a lofty price.
Between Arsenal and Chelsea, the latter are expected to be in pole position for the player’s signatures as not only have they proven to be conducive for developing youngsters but can also provide more time to Cubarsi.
Given that Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba are already key players in Mikel Arteta’s plans, Cubarsi might face restricted game time at the Emirates Stadium but has enough quality to be a starter for Chelsea.
With that said, the interested parties have the difficult task of convincing the player, a La Masia graduate, to join them, whereas Barcelona’s resolve will also require some hard work to break given how much they value Cubarsi.
