Chelsea 'internally discuss' bringing academy star back

Stuart Telford

• 23 Nov 2023 21:40 GMT
• 3 min read

Chelsea are interested in bringing Fikayo Tomori back to the club from AC Milan according to Blues insider Simon Phillips.

Chelsea have spent big on centre-backs since Todd Boehly took control of the club in May 2022 - dropping more than €200m on Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Kalidou Koulibaly and latterly Axel Disasi. Koulibaly has already left for Al-Hilal.

That hasn't stopped them conceding 16 goals from 12 Premier League games so far this season, though, and the Blues could be forgiven for regretting Tomori's €31.6m transfer to Milan in the summer of 2021.

The academy graduate has since won Serie A with the Rossoneri, and looks likely to make England's squad for Euro 2024 after being called up for the recent qualifying games against Malta and North Macedonia.

And there are those who want him back at Stamford Bridge, according to Phillips.

Tomori 'a potential option'

"I am told that Fikayo Tomori has been internally discussed at the club in recent weeks as a potential option for centre back," he wrote in his Substack column.

"I am not sure just how serious that interest is as of now, or who exactly has mentioned him. I just know that his name has come up in recent conversations at the club."

Paul Winstanley is Chelsea's Director of Global Talent sand Transfers having joined the club from Brighton soon after they recruited manager Graham Potter from the Seagulls - another who has since departed.

Tomori is now valued at €45.6m by FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm, and is under contract at the San Siro until 30 June 2027, so the Italians could dig their heels in over his asking price.

But as Chelsea have shown since Boehly took over, spending big on a centre-back is well within the realm of possibility.