Chelsea are reportedly battling with Arsenal and Everton over a deal to sign Rangers defender Emmanuel Fernandez, as per TEAMtalk.
After joining the Scottish giants from Peterborough United last summer, the 24-year-old has enjoyed a promising debut campaign, scoring five goals and keeping 10 clean sheets across all competitions.
Moreover, the Nigerian has been helping his side mount a title charge this season, sitting only one point behind table topper Hearts, with five games left.
Now, TEAMtalk claim that Fernandez has started attracting a lot of attention ahead of the summer window after showing glimpses of his qualities at Ibrox Stadium.
Chelsea are showing a keen interest in signing him and could make a concrete approach over the coming months. However, West Ham United and Everton are in this race as well. Arsenal have been monitoring his development closely and are currently the frontrunners in this race.
Apart from the Premier League clubs, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Club Brugge, Ajax Amsterdam, and Feyenoord have expressed their interest in him as well.
With Fernandez’s existing deal set to run until 2029, Rangers are in a strong position to demand a hefty fee if they are forced to cash-in and could demand up to £35m. Peterborough even have a sell-on clause.
Battle
Chelsea have plenty of defensive options at the moment, but some are struggling with fitness issues, while others have yet to showcase their qualities in the Premier League.
On the other hand, Arsenal currently have Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, and Cristhian Mosquera as centre-back options.
Moreover, Jurrien Timber, Ben White, Riccardo Calafiori, and Piero Hincapié can provide cover in this position if needed. So, the Gunners don’t need to invest more money to add further depth to this position unless anyone leaves.
Everton, meanwhile, have James Tarkowski, Jake O’Brien, Jarrad Branthwaite, and Michael Keane as CB options. However, Branthwaite has continued to struggle with hamstring problems, while Keane is set to leave for free this summer.
So, Chelsea and Everton could do with signing a new centre-back,k and Fernandez, standing at 6ft 5in tall, could be a shrewd acquisition should either club purchase him.
Nevertheless, it is going to be interesting to see whether the North London club, the Merseyside club, or the West London club eventually make a concrete approach to secure his services.
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