Chelsea have reportedly set their sights on Jose Gimenez over a possible move in the future, with the Uruguayan seen as a long-term prospect.
According to Fabrizio Romano on his Here We Go Podcast, as relayed by The Sun, Jose Gimenez is the subject of interest from Chelsea over a potential move in the future. The Premier League giants want to sort out their defence for the long-term, with the Atletico Madrid centre-back viewed as a possible solution.
Gimenez joined Atletico Madrid from Danubio as an 18-year-old back in the summer of 2013. Since then, his stock has risen considerably, with the Uruguayan international now seen as one of the best defenders in La Liga presently. The player has also grown tremendously at international level and is a pivotal player for his country.
While he has not been ever-present at the back for Los Rojiblancos, Gimenez has still remained an important member of the squad, amassing nearly 200 appearances for the club. His progress has duly been noted over the years, with Chelsea among those who have regularly tracked him.
In fact, the Blues were on his trails this past summer as well before shifting their attention towards Thiago Silva. The veteran Brazilian defender has made a superb start to life at Stamford Bridge, but will realistically only provide short-term stability to Chelsea’s defence.
The west Londoners did sign Malang Sarr, but it remains to be seen how Frank Lampard inculcates him within the first-team setup next season. Otherwise, the Chelsea boss also has the likes of Kurt Zouma, Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Fikayo Tomori at his disposal and it will be interesting to see how they fit in another central defender.
Having said that, Rudiger and Christensen both seem to be bit-part players at Chelsea, while Tomori is one for the future. So, signing Gimenez could be a move in the right direction, provided Chelsea offload a couple of centre-backs, especially with reports suggesting that Silva could well be extending his stay at the club.
As per Fabrizio Romano (h/t The Sun), Gimenez is viewed as a key target by Chelsea, who can carry forward the good work that Silva is doing at Stamford Bridge. However, it is unclear if the Premier League heavyweights will make a move for the Uruguayan in the coming winter window or sometime in the future. For now, it looks like Gimenez is on Chelsea’s radar again.
