Chelsea could soon hold talks with Eder Militao, but the Real Madrid defender is keen on staying put at the Santiago Bernabeu.
According to a report by Spanish publication MARCA, Eder Militao is keen on staying put at Real Madrid beyond the summer transfer window amid interest from Chelsea. The Blues have requested a meeting with the Brazilian defender’s agent, Ulisses Jorge, and could hold talks with him soon.
Eder Militao has come a long way since joining Real Madrid from FC Porto in July 2019. The 24-year-old initially had to bide his time, as Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane were the firm first-choice centre-backs for Zinedine Zidane. But after a promising 2020/21 campaign, he has come into his own.
Now an ever-present figure at the back, Militao has featured 35 times across all competitions for Real Madrid this season, chipping in with two goals and two assists in the process. The Brazilian international’s exploits have not gone unnoticed, with some of the biggest clubs in Europe, including Chelsea, setting their sights on him.
The interest from Chelsea comes in the wake of the rampant uncertainties surrounding the futures of Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta. The three defenders have entered the final year of their respective contracts and are no closer to reaching an agreement over a new deal.
As things stand, Rudiger, Christensen and Azpilicueta are poised to leave Chelsea as free agents. If that were the case, Thomas Tuchel would be left with just three recognised centre-backs at his disposal in Thiago Silva, Trevoh Chalobah and Malang Sarr. Herein lies a major problem as Silva is in the twilight of his career, while Chalobah and Sarr are a long way away from their peak years.
Chelsea will thus need to enter the transfer market for at least one centre-back in the summer transfer window, with Militao emerging as a viable target. But their chances of snapping up the 24-year-old are slim to none as he has no intention of leaving Real Madrid anytime soon.
Recent reports have also claimed that the Merengues are uninterested in selling Militao. But that is not deterring Chelsea, who have requested a meeting with the Real Madrid defender’s agent, Ulisses Jorge. But with Militao committed to Real Madrid, Chelsea will need to set sights elsewhere, with Jules Kounde among their key targets.
