Watford’s technical director Filippo Giraldi has claimed that star player Roberto Pererya could potentially end up at Chelsea when he leaves the club.
Chelsea have received a huge boost in their pursuit of Watford’s Roberto Pereyra after the club’s technical director, Filippo Giraldi claimed in an interview with Radio Kiss Kiss that he can imagine the Argentine moving to Stamford Bridge in the future – as reported by The Sun.
Giraldi has also played down speculation linking Pereyra to a move to Torino as he believes that the Italian club will be a step down for the Watford midfielder. Instead, Giraldi is quite convinced that a player of Pereyra’s calibre should move to a ‘great club’ like Chelsea.
In an interview with Radio Kiss Kiss (h/t The Sun), he said, “In football, nothing is impossible, but I think [a move to Torino] is a highly unlikely scenario because for us he is a very important player. I think he can go to a great team, and I say that with all due respect to Torino. I see him as a potential Chelsea player.”
This could be a boost for Chelsea, who, despite being slapped with a two-window transfer ban, are still on the lookout for potential reinforcements in the summer.
After a promising start to the campaign, the Blues have struggled with consistency under Maurizio Sarri, with the midfield department emerging as a key weakness. While the likes of Jorginho and Ross Barkley have been criticised for their inconsistencies, Sarri has also copped flak for playing N’Golo Kante in an advanced midfield position, where he hasn’t always made the desired impact.
In addition, Mateo Kovacic’s loan spell will expire at the end of the campaign, thus accentuating the need for a new midfielder and that is where Pereryra could come into the fray, should Chelsea reignite their interest in him.
The former Juventus midfielder is known for his dynamism and work-ethic along with his clever movements – qualities that could make him a handy player for someone like Sarri. Pererya has mostly featured in a wide attacking midfield role in Watford’s 4-2-2-2 setup this season, but the Argentine can easily be accommodated as the extra midfielder in Chelsea’s 4-3-3.
Alternatively, the 28-year-old can also feature as the lone attacking midfielder, should Sarri opt for a double-pivot in midfield, which, in turn, will allow Kante to play in his preferred holding midfield role. Simply put, the addition of someone as versatile and effective as Pererya could certainly hand Sarri more tactical freedom in midfield, which will be beneficial not just for the Italian but for the players as well.
However, it remains to be seen whether or not CAS agrees to postpone Chelsea’s transfer ban that has restricted the Blues from making any acquisition for the next couple of transfer windows. And, if they do, it will be interesting to see if the 28-year-old ends up making his way to Stamford Bridge, having previously admitted to being flattered by the links with the Blues.
