Chelsea could qualify for the Champions League next season but will be intent on bolstering their squad during the summer as they look to challenge for silverware under Enzo Maresca. Todd Boehly is expected to back the manager in the transfer market yet again with several areas of the squad likely to be revamped over the course of the off-season.
TBR Football (h/t 90min) has reported that Chelsea are battling Tottenham Hotspur for the purchase of AC Milan left back Theo Hernandez. The 27-year-old, who was valued by the Rossoneri at £87 million last summer, might be available for as little as £30 million this year as he enters the final 12 months of his contract at San Siro.
Hernandez, formerly of Real Madrid, has a rich CV having most notably won the Champions League in the Spanish capital and has more recently emerged as one of the world’s best players in his preferred position of left back. In addition, he also is a handy central defender and can play as a holding midfielder too.
Although AC Milan are unlikely to secure a berth in the Champions League next season, Theo Hernandez is expected to consider playing in the top continental competition as a vital factor in choosing his next club and with that in mind, Chelsea are set to have the upper hand over Tottenham Hotspur, who must win the UEFA Europa League to play in the European Cup in 2025/26.
While there is no good reason for the Blues to replace Marc Cucurella, who has done well for them this season, Theo Hernandez is a significant upgrade over the Spaniard and for a transfer fee of only £30 million, Chelsea would feel that they have secured an excellent deal for a player in the prime years of his career.
Hernandez’s speed and physicality would hold him in particularly good stead over Cucurella in the Premier League, while his offensive abilities will ensure that he rubber-stamps his place in the team ahead of the Euro 2024 winner. It will be interesting to see, however, if the player fancies a challenge in England or prefers joining one of the other big European leagues having been linked with Bayern Munich amongst others in the recent past.
