Chelsea are keeping constant tabs on Strasbourg midfielder Habib Diarra with a view of making a move in the future.
According to Football Insider, Chelsea are keen on 19-year-old midfield ace Habib Diarra. The Blues have a ‘special’ relationship with the midfielder’s club Strasbourg, as the report suggests they may have helped block a move to Wolves during the summer.
Blu Co, the Todd Boehly-led consortium, purchased Chelsea last year, and this time around, they have put their feet into French football with the acquisition of Strasbourg. The Ligue 1 side seems like a ‘sister club’ for the Premier League club, and business between them should not come as a surprise.
They have already started their relationship after Chelsea allowed Angelo Gabriel to join Strasbourg on loan for the current season. Similarly, we could see plenty of activity between the two clubs, with Habib Diarra potentially the next player to move between these sides.
This time, the 19-year-old midfield ace could move from Strasbourg to Chelsea after impressing with the Ligue 1 side. A holding midfielder by trade, Diarra can also play various midfield roles, including in the attacking zone.
However, his long-term position seems at the base of midfield, and Chelsea might look to sign another player in that role. They managed to bring two notably young holding midfielders in Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, with the pair costing them a combined £183 million, including add-ons.
Chelsea had also invested in Enzo Fernandez, which had cost them another £106 million last January. They have a solid enough midfield with the expensive trio. Still, as their recent transfer policy suggests, the spending may continue, even for positions they don’t necessarily need to strengthen.
Moreover, Rennes youngster Lesley Ugochukwu joined them, and Andre Santos is in a similar position. If they are to sign Diarra from Strasbourg, Chelsea will boast an impressive stable of holding midfielders ready to take on the future.
The report states Chelsea are keen to move for the 19-year-old midfield ace next summer. The club may have also helped block a move to Wolves during the summer, while earlier Strasbourg held talks with Manchester United but decided to keep the midfielder.
Other top-name clubs were also monitoring the midfielder before the summer window opened. However, with the ‘special’ relationship that Chelsea have with Strasbourg, it appears written in the stars that the Blues would end up signing Diarra one way or another next summer or somewhere down the line.
