Chelsea’s midfield trio of Moises Caicedo, Roméo Lavia and Enzo Fernández cost a combined £248.2m according to Transfermarkt fees, and they are all beginning to show why they were acquired by the Blues.
Enzo Maresca has found ways to utilise all three of his star midfielders, making tactical tweaks based on the opposition to give Chelsea the best possible chance of winning each game.
Fernández brings such a high level of passing quality, Caicedo is an all-action midfielder who mops up the danger, and Lavia adds extra physicality and press resistance in midfield when it’s needed.
But Chelsea are reportedly interested in another midfielder who could help to cover Lavia, who has found himself suffering from frequent injuries in the past few seasons.
Chelsea looking at young midfielder
According to reports from The Sun, Chelsea are interested in Sporting midfielder, Dario Essugo, who is currently out on loan with Las Palmas in La Liga.
The reports also state that Leeds United are pursuing a deal for the midfielder, which means Chelsea will have to act fast if they want to ensure Essugo chooses the Blues over guaranteed minutes at Leeds, who are likely to be promoted to the Premier League next season.
The 19-year-old has made 11 appearances for the Spanish outfit this campaign, scoring once, contributing to two clean sheets, and totalling 911 minutes played.
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How Essugo compares to Chelsea's midfielders
Caicedo has had an excellent start to this campaign, establishing himself as a key figure for Maresca in central midfield and even at right-back as an option. The Ecuador international has made 18 appearances in all competitions, scoring once, providing three assists, and totaling 1,528 minutes on the field.
Minutes have then been shared between Fernandez and Lavia in midfield alongside Caicedo, with the Argentine making 20 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals and providing eight assists. Meanwhile, Lavia has made ten appearances but provided just one assist.
So, how does Essugo compare to this?
Goals + Assists
0.10
0.19
0.19
0.78
Progressive Carries
0.87
0.96
0.38
1.15
Progressive Passes
4.56
5.10
3.21
5.65
Key Passes
0.58
1.08
1.13
2.06
Passes into Final Third
4.08
6.37
5.66
5.27
Tackles
2.82
3.12
2.83
2.90
Blocks
0.97
1.15
1.13
1.37
Interceptions
2.14
1.72
2.08
0.57
Recoveries
5.44
5.92
4.53
4.89
You can instantly see how Esssugo is similar to Caicedo in profile when analysing their metrics alongside each other. They are both making over five ball recoveries per 90, making 2.8+ tackles per 90, and 1.7+ interceptions per 90. But alongside their defensive acumen, they are also progressive on the ball, especially with their passing into the final third.
Fernandez is a different type of profile, providing more key passes per 90 and being more of a playmaker for the side, whilst Lavia brings a bit of everything to the team, also being the most natural number six or holding midfield type, rather than a box to box.
Essugo has been labelled as one of the “most exciting DMs in Europe” by scout Jacek Kulig, and by adding him alongside the likes of Caicedo, Lavia and Fernandez, Chelsea would have the best midfield depth in the league. That’s if they don’t already.
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