William Gallas has backed Hungarian defender Attila Szalai to succeed at Chelsea if the Premier League giants sign him up.
Chelsea are linked with several central defensive stars from across the continent, with a defensive overhaul likely on the cards as several defenders are in the final phase of their respective contracts.
As a result, the west London giants are scouring the market for reinforcements. Recently, the Blues were linked with a move for Attila Szalai of Fenerbahce, who seems to be one of many names on the radars of the club.
The Hungary international has been putting brilliant performances in Turkey and is now backed to succeed at Stamford Bridge by former Chelsea star William Gallas. The ex-Blues defender, a youth coach in Hungary with MTK, spoke glowingly about the Fenerbahce centre-back.
As quoted by Tribal Football, he said, “Szalai is a strong and fast player. In my opinion, he is the best player of the Hungarian national team. Even Chelsea following him is a very good development. He can improve himself even more by going there and playing with defenders around the world. Every match is very tough in England. However, I was not afraid of this, and Attila is not afraid either.”
Thomas Tuchel has a formidable squad at his disposal at Chelsea, although the Blues might face a possible defensive crisis at the end of the season. Important figures Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen are running down their deals at the club, and their departure seems more than likely in the summer. Moreover, their potential exits for free will not generate funds to reinvest in the squad.
In addition, their other important centre-back, Thiago Silva is 37 and will need a replacement at some point next season, if at all he stays for another year. Meanwhile, captain Cesar Azpilicueta is also in the final six months of his contract and could be leaving as well.
Szalai has a growing reputation and has been proving his worth in the Turkish league. However, the Premier League is different gravy, and as Gallas said, the player may not be afraid to take on the challenge.
Realistically, the 23-year-old Hungary international may be viewed as an alternative by Tuchel to some of the more high profile names on their shortlist. However, he could prove to be a good addition and play plenty of games considering Chelsea always tend to compete in many competitions.