Chelsea are reportedly battling with Arsenal over a deal to sign Atalanta defender Honest Ahanor, as per Caught Offside.
The Blues currently have Marc Cucurella as the first-choice left-back option. However, the Spaniard has been out in recent weeks due to a hamstring problem.
Jorrel Hato can play in the left-back position, although he is a centre-back by trait. However, he has struggled to settle into the Premier League’s physicality since joining from Ajax Amsterdam last summer.
Moreover, although Malo Gusto is a right-back by trait, he can provide cover on the opposite side if needed. Levi Colwill is also comfortable in the left-back position but has been ruled out for this season owing to a serious knee injury.
So, it appears the West London club have started exploring options to sign a new left-back to support Cucurella. Caught Offside claim that the Blues have earmarked Ahanor as a serious option, after being impressed by his recent promising performances.
Chelsea have been focusing on signing highly talented youngsters since Todd Boehly’s takeover and are aiming to follow the same pathway. They are planning to sign Ahanor and then loan him out before integrating him into the first team.
However, purchasing the 18-year-old won’t be straightforward for the West London club, as Manchester City and Arsenal have also been monitoring his development closely in recent months.
The Citizens and the Gunners are even ready to launch a formal £30m bid to secure the youngster’s service, with the player’s existing deal set to run until 2028.
Battle
Having already got Riccardo Calafiori, Piero Hincapié, and Myles Lewis-Skelly, Arsenal don’t need to invest more to add further depth to the left-back position unless anyone leaves.
Ahanor is a left-footed defender who is comfortable playing in the left-back and centre-back positions. Moreover, he can provide cover on the LWB role if needed.
The Nigerian is quick, strong, composed with possession, reads the game well, and is also efficient in defensive contributions.
It is going to be interesting to see whether the North London club or the West London club eventually make a concrete approach to secure his services in the upcoming summer transfer window.
