Leonardo Spinazzola of AS Roma is linked with a transfer to Chelsea and Real Madrid. (imago Images)
As per a report by Italian outlet Il Messaggero (h/t The Mirror), Chelsea are interested in signing AS Roma wing-back, Leonardo Spinazzola. The Italian international is impressing at the Euros and his contribution in Italy’s run to the quarter-final has made him a wanted man, with Real Madrid also interested in him.
But the report adds that Jose Mourinho, who is the new boss of Roma, could demand a large fee for Spinazzola, who joined from Juventus in 2019. But with two of Chelsea’s full-backs potentially headed for exits, is this a signing that Thomas Tuchel needs to make before the start of next season? Let’s find out.
Tuchel made his ideology clear from day one at Stamford Bridge. The German manager shifted Chelsea from a team that plays four-at-the-back to a side that now starts three centre-backs along with two wing-backs. Throughout the course of the second half of the season, Marcos Alonso and Ben Chilwell competed for starts down the left-hand side.
It was clear that Tuchel did not have any outright favourites in that position. The Englishman featured in 11 league games under his new boss while the Spaniard appeared in 10 games down that flank. While that competition is a healthy thing to have, the equation can get disturbed when one of them is tipped to leave.
And that is exactly the case with Alonso. Mundo Deportivo (h/t Daily Mail) claim that the 30-year-old is the subject of interest from Barcelona. Emerson Palmieri has been out of favour at the Blues for a while, with him spending this past season out on loan at Genoa.
But even he has been linked with a Stamford Bridge exit, with The Mirror mentioning that both Alonso and Emerson look likely to ‘seal moves away from the club’ in the coming weeks. That leaves Chelsea short of options down the left-hand side. They could have boosted both their flanks had they managed to sign Achraf Hakimi.
As per Football.london, Hakimi has snubbed the Blues and is close to joining PSG. The Moroccan can play on both flanks in a 5-man midfield but that move looks unlikely, making Spinazzola a viable alternative. Chilwell, who is 24, is not a pinned starter for Tuchel yet.
Back in May, Tuchel told BT Sports (h/t football.london) that he did not start Chilwell in the FA Cup final because he preferred Alonso for his experience. That shows that the German is willing to offer Chilwell competition down that left-flank. If Alonso leaves, Spinazzola can do that job for them.
The 28-year-old has 281 senior appearances in his club career and has spent a majority of the time playing as a left-sided midfielder, a position that fits well into Tuchel’s 3-4-2-1 system. Missing out on Hakimi is also a blow that can be cushioned to some extent if they sign another full-back like the Italian.
For a team that would be competing in 4 season-long competitions and would want to win trophies, the Blues know that strengthening the squad is of utmost importance. And playing in a system like the one Tuchel deploys at Chelsea, Spinazzola’s prior experience of playing as a wing-back would also come as a bonus for the club.
