Chelsea are reportedly considering signing one player from Real Madrid.
Chelsea are looking at left-backs, according to journalist Simon Phillips, and he has now claimed on his Substack that Ferland Mendy’s name “has been discussed” at Stamford Bridge.
The above comes after the Blues allowed Ian Maatsen to join Borussia Dortmund on loan for the rest of the season.
Mendy has been at Real Madrid since 2019, joining from Lyon in a £47m deal (BBC Sport).
Manchester United’s Luke Shaw is another left-back who has been linked to Chelsea.
Mendy is a top left-back, one who is quite good at carrying the ball, which is a good skill for a modern-day full-back to have.
In his first season at Real Madrid, the Frenchman completed two dribbles per league game, which put him second behind Eden Hazard in the Spanish club’s squad (WhoScored).
However, since then, Mendy has picked up a lot of injuries, which will be of concern to Chelsea.
One reason why the Blues probably need to sign a new left-back in the first place is because of Ben Chilwell’s fitness issues. Like Mendy, the 27-year-old has also struggled to stay injury-free.
If he could, then Chelsea would not need to bring in another player for the left side of their defence, as Chilwell is a quality full-back himself.
Going forward, the England international is excellent. Last season, he scored two goals and provided two assists in 23 Premier League appearances and completed one cross per game, which was the third-highest average in his squad (WhoScored). It is not bad for a full-back.
Be it Chilwell, Mendy or someone else, some Chelsea fans will just be hoping an actual left-back comes into the side soon, with central defender Levi Colwill currently playing there.