Chelsea have learned that they would need to table a £22.4 million offer on the table in order to sign Ajax left-back Nicolas Tagliafico this summer.
According to the Telegraph, Chelsea will have to pay around £22.4 million in order to secure the services of Nicolas Tagliafico. The Ajax full-back has been identified as the club’s desired alternative for Leicester City sensation Ben Chilwell.
The English international was considered as Frank Lampard’s top target in the upcoming summer transfer window. However, his staggeringly high valuation is likely to deter the west London giants, who are likely to undergo a major squad overhaul when the transfer market reopens.
The left-back has rightly been identified as one of the areas Chelsea must resolve. The defensive duo of Emerson and Marcos Alonso simply haven’t been able to impress Lampard or the fans, often struggling with injuries and lack of form.
Throughout the season, Chelsea have been criticized for leaving too much space in behind the backline, particularly on the left flank. And that is largely due to the poor positioning of both Emerson and Alonso. Hence, the Blues need someone with good technical and tactical knowledge in order to resolve their problems in the left-back slot.
Tagliafico, in that sense, is indeed an excellent option. The Argentine has made quite a name for himself with his impressive range of passing as well as tactical awareness. Those qualities have made him a key component in Erik ten Haag’s setup at Ajax.
On top of that, Tagliafico has gained a significant amount of experience at the highest level of football. He has already made almost 100 competitive appearances for Ajax during his ongoing two-year spell in the Netherlands. In addition, he has won 25 caps for the Argentine national side.
Such experience could help Tagliafico integrate quickly to the Premier League. His ability to move forward and provide offensive support also tunes in well with Lampard’s attacking strategy at Chelsea.
The Argentine international must improve on his positional awareness, much like Alonso and Emerson. But in hindsight, Tagliafico could be an upgrade over those two Chelsea stars and given his £22.4 million, he could turn out to be a cost-effective option in Lampard’s bid to add more depth in the left-back department this summer.
