Do Chelsea need to sign Lucas Digne in January?
Cameron Smith
- 4 Jan 2022 12:42 CST
- 6 min read
Chelsea's January transfer plans boils down to one position: left-back. While issues remain in the centre of midfield, and now at right-back after Reece James' suffered a hamstring injury against Brighton, left wing-back is the problem area for Thomas Tuchel.
Ben Chilwell was forced off in the Blues' Champions League win over Juventus in late November, after suffering a knee injury, and the club revealed shortly afterwards that he'd suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. The Englishman requires surgery on his knee, and this will keep him out for the remainder of the campaign, while he'll have a fight on his hands to recover for the start of the 2022/23 season.
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It took Callum Hudson-Odoi a while to return from his own ACL injury, which occurred in 2019, and he's only just re-discovering his best form, so it's certainly a worry for Tuchel.
The injury came as a huge disappointment for Chilwell, who was thriving as a wing-back in Tuchel's system, and had netted four goals and assisted two for club and country this season before the incident.
With Chilwell injured, Marcos Alonso has mostly been deployed in his place, although loanee Saul Niguez did play there against Zenit St Petersburg in the Champions League.
However, the past month-and-a-half has shown just how vital Chilwell is to Chelsea, and how much of a drop-off there is to Alonso. Opponents are more willing to give Alonso space, which in turn negatively affected Reece James' productivity in front of goal as he was being more closely marked until his own injury.
So, Chelsea have reportedly taken to the transfer market, and are currently scouting around for options to replace Chilwell in the short term. The major problem is that whoever they sign will have to accept a back-up role once the Englishman returns to fitness. That makes finding the ideal candidate extremely hard, but the Blues believe they have done so in Everton's Digne.
According to media outlet Fichajes, Chelsea view the Frenchman as a suitable candidate as a replacement for the injured Chilwell. FourFourTwo have also reported that Tuchel views Digne as the perfect replacement for the English full-back, and is targeting the Everton man.
Digne's contract at Goodison Park doesn't expire until 2025, which will mean the asking price is high, but his recent falling out with Rafa Benitez could make the Blues' life a whole lot easier.
The report from Fichajes back in mid-December suggested Chelsea are willing to pay €25 million (£21m), but Everton are holding out for €35m (£30m). That certainly complicates things, but would signing Digne even be a good idea?
For the right fee, yes
If Chelsea can negotiate a deal that ensures they pay a measly £20m for Digne, then it makes sense. He's currently out of favour at Everton, so would likely accept a starting role to begin with, before dropping down to play second fiddle once Chilwell is fully fit.
Furthermore, he's a better player than Alonso, and would ease the current concerns surrounding the defensive frailty of that position.
But, if Chelsea are required to meet Everton's asking price, then it's a move they should avoid. Chilwell cost £50m himself, so for his back-up to cost a further £30m would be excessive. Sure, it's nice to have a quality second choice left-back, but there are other areas that could do with investment at Chelsea, not least paying the wages that Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen are demanding.
Digne is an excellent crosser, and his creativity in the final third can be demonstrated by the fact he's racked up 18 league assists in his three full campaigns at Goodison Park. He is far more secure and fluid in possession than Alonso, and is a better defender. So, he'd be a decent addition, but only at the right price.
Sign Tagliafico instead
Before Chelsea landed Chilwell there were three names on their list for the problem area of left-back. Chilwell was, of course, the first, and Sergio Reguilon and Nicolas Tagliafico were the other two.
Now, Reguilon has signed for Spurs, but Tagliafico is somehow still at Ajax, and not only that, but he's not in favour. With Jurrien Timber and Lisandro Martinez the first choice centre-back pairing this campaign, Daley Blind has been pushed to left-back, which has demoted Tagliafico to the bench.
The 29-year-old has started just two Eredivisie games this season, and with his contract expiring in 2023, added to his age, Ajax have less than 12 months to offload him if they want to turn a profit on the Argentina international.
Given his profile, Tagliafico would be ideal for Chelsea. He's previously shown he can compete at Champions League level, he's experienced being on the bench this campaign so won't complain when Chilwell ousts him, he's not in favour and would relish the chance to play first-team football before the World Cup, and Ajax need to sell soon - it's a match made in heaven.
In 2020, Ajax sold first choice right-back Sergino Dest to Barcelona for just £18m. So, given Tagliafico is no longer first choice, and the other factors mentioned, a bid of around £15m has a high chance of success.
That would be cheaper than signing Digne, yet would provide just as capable a player.
Furthermore, he is less likely to push for a start once Chilwell returns, which is a promising sign.
Signing Tagliafico would be Chelsea's best option.
Keep faith with Alonso
The other option, which albeit is the most risky, is to simply play Alonso. He's Chelsea current back-up, and what's a back-up's job if not to perform when the first choice option is injured? He's performed for the Blues before, and his form at the start of this season was certainly encouraging.
He may not represent the best player for Tuchel's system, but Chelsea don't need to break the bank on a Chilwell replacement if Alonso can fill in.
However, relying on the Spaniard is optimistic, and Chelsea's best bet would be to sign Tagliafico or Digne for the right price, which appears to be more realistic, and not risk losing even more ground in the title race, which already seems over.
