Chelsea and Tottenham could suffer a blow ahead of their chase of Illia Zabarnyi as Bournemouth will play hardball.
According to Give Me Sport, Bournemouth are not keen to make things easy for suitors chasing Illia Zabarnyi. The Ukrainian defender has been a key aspect of their success in the Premier League this season. The Cherries are likely to resist offers coming in January, which will be seen as bad news by those at Chelsea and Tottenham.
There is always a big market for a top-rated centre-back with Premier League experience, and Bournemouth find themselves in a fight to keep hold of a top player. The Cherries are worried about the immediate future of centre-back Illia Zabarnyi, as some of the top Premier League sides are keeping close tabs.
Having only signed a new deal until 2029 back in the summer, the Cherries are in a position of power to dictate the terms of any transfer for Zabarnyi. Andoni Iraola has been key to the Ukrainian’s development, and Bournemouth are not about to let him leave on the cheap.
A huge asking price is in order ahead of January, although the club are keen to play hardball with suitors and resist offers coming in for the 22-year-old Premier League centre-back. The Cherries believe Zabarnyi will be a key aspect to their chances of making it into one of the European spots. They are currently seventh in the Premier League standings.
They will try to keep hold of talents like Illia Zabarnyi and Milos Kerkez to build towards the end of the season. Losing them will pose challenges of a different kind, as it won’t be about the money but finding the right replacement in an otherwise challenging winter market.
Chelsea and Tottenham to miss out on Zabarnyi
Tottenham are keen to beat Chelsea for Illia Zabarnyi, as Ange Postecoglou has many well-documented defensive issues at the back. They might get their key defenders back in January. Still, the dodgy fitness records of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero make things unpredictable, meaning signing a new centre-back is imperative. However, Bournemouth’s stance could be a bitter blow for Spurs and Chelsea.
Chelsea are also keen on signing a new centre-back, and they are interested in Zabarnyi. The 22-year-old centre-back is currently better than some of the Blues’ options, although Bournemouth’s hardball tactics could see Chelsea push their pursuit for the summer window.
