Atletico Madrid keen to make move for Chelsea midfielder in January: Reports
Spanish club Atletico Madrid are planning to make a move for Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, as per Okdiario (via Tribal Football). The Argentine midfielder has fallen down the pecking order under Enzo Maresca and has struggled for game time this season.
Fernandez joined Chelsea from Benfica in January 2023 for a then-reported British transfer record fee of £107 million. The 23-year-old established himself as one of the Blues' major players under former managers Graham Potter, Frank Lampard and Mauricio Pochettino.
At the start of the current campaign, Fernandez also featured regularly under current manager Maresca. He made the starting XI and captained the side in five of the first six league games of the season. However, he fell out of favor with the manager and has played off the bench in his last four league games getting a combined 97 minutes.
Maresca has now opted for Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia as his preferred first-choice partnership in midfield, raising questions about Fernandez's future. As per the abovementioned report, Atletico Madrid are looking to take the 2022 World Cup winner off Chelsea's hand.
The LaLiga outfit plans to offer a six-month loan deal with the option to sign permanently for Fernandez in January. The report also states that the Blues are willing to listen to offers for him, and the player is also open to leaving Stamford Bridge in the new year.
Should the deal materialize, Fernandez would become the second Chelsea player to move directly to Atletico in the last six months after Conor Gallagher in the summer.
Former Tottenham Hotspur manager names Chelsea defender as the most improved PL player this season
Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Tim Sherwood named Chelsea defender Levi Colwill as the most improved player in the Premier League this season.
The 21-year-old has been a regular this season under Enzo Maresca. He has played every single minute of the Blues' league games this term. The Englishman has formed a decent partnership with Wesley Fofana, keeping two clean sheets and conceding 13 goals.
Colwill has won more than 50 percent of his duels and has recorded a tackle success rate of 70 percent this season. It is a significant improvement from his last season's performance of a 63 percent success rate in tackles.
The Blues are third in the Premier League with 19 points after 11 games. They have the same points as fourth-placed Arsenal but are ahead with a superior goal difference.
