Francesco Acerbi with the trophy after deafting Juventus in the Italian Supercup finals (Getty Images)
According to FCInterNews.It (h/t Daily Mail), Chelsea are ready to battle Inter Milan for the signing of Francesco Acerbi, who plies his trade with Lazio in Serie A.
Acerbi, 32, came through the ranks of Pavia’s youth system and featured for several clubs including AC Milan and Genoa before moving to Sassuolo in 2013. After struggling with an injury in his first season, he went on to become one of the most consistent players in the squad until Lazio signed him two summers back.
He immediately established himself under Simone Inzaghi and featured in all but one game in the league last term, helping Lazio finish 8th in the league standings. He has gone from strength to strength in this campaign and has been one of the reasons for the club’s rise to the top, as they sit just one point below leaders Juventus in the Serie A table.
Meanwhile, Frank Lampard has done a decent job in his first season as the Blues’ boss. Though they have been inconsistent at times, the youngsters in the squad have kept them going in the race for Champions League qualification.
One of the chief reasons for Chelsea’s dip in form has been the lack of quality and experienced central defenders. At the start of the season, when Antonio Rudiger was injured, the manager went with Fikayo Tomori and Kurt Zouma in the heart of the defence.
However, both the youngsters struggled to perform consistently and soon, Andreas Christensen was brought into the starting XI. But, the Danish international also hasn’t been able to hit top form. The shaky defence has already conceded 39 goals, which is the most among the top six teams.
Therefore, the manager should prioritize strengthening the backline with experienced campaigners and Francesco Acerbi fits the bill.
The 32-year-old has featured in 33 games for the Italian side, scoring 2 goals and providing 2 assists in the process. He has struck a strong partnership with Luiz Felipe and the duo have combined to keep 8 clean sheets in the league, conceding just 23 goals, which is the best defensive record in Serie A in this campaign.
Acerbi also returned to the Italian national team after a long time as he took part in the nation’s Euro 2020 qualifying campaign. He has been impactful for his side and given his pedigree and experience, would be a suitable partner for Rudiger at the heart of Chelsea’s defence.
The Italian has taken his game to the next level despite being 32 and has still got the legs to play at a higher level. His inclusion in the Blues’ team has the capability to boost their defensive unit and he would certainly bring in a healthy competition with his presence.
Chelsea’s defence has not been up to the mark and that was highlighted in the Champions League games against Bayern Munich and Ajax. Therefore, in order to bring a change in their defensive record, they should go for a centre-back in the summer.
Hence, a move should happen for Acerbi and the veteran should be brought to Stamford Bridge at any cost beating other teams interested in him.
