Why Chelsea must stay away from signing Nahitan Nandez
According to Corriere dello Sport (h/t Daily Express), Chelsea have been approached by the agent of Nahitan Nandez over a potential summer transfer.
The 24-year-old midfielder arrived at Cagliari from Argentine heavyweights Boca Juniors just last summer but has been an instant hit in the Serie A.
Despite playing in a holding midfield role, Nandez has impressed with two goals and four assists from 34 league appearances for Cagliari this season. His consistent displays in the middle of the park have seen him emerge as one of the key players in the side despite it being his maiden season in Italy.
Nandez is also a member of the Uruguayan national side and has so far made 31 appearances for them, which gives a fair idea of his potential.
Having impressed for both club and country, Nandez was recently the subject of a loan deal with a £34million obligation to buy back in January from Premier League side West Ham. However, Cagliari rejected the Hammers’ bid for their star player, who has a release clause of £32.6million.
With interest from abroad mounting on Nandez in recent times, his agent has decided to shift the focus on top clubs and has identified Chelsea as a potential suitor, the report added.
Nandez to Chelsea a waste of time and money
Chelsea, on the other hand, has enjoyed a successful campaign under Frank Lampard, finishing fourth and securing Champions League qualification. A transfer ban last summer saw Lampard opting to play the side’s youngsters this season, which in turn, seems to have borne fruit.
Lampard gave first-team opportunities to the likes of academy graduates such as Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham, Reece James, and teenager Billy Gilmour this term. The youngsters, in return, have repaid their manager’s faith by delivering the goods when offered the chance. One such revelation was the 19-year old Gilmour.
Though he featured just 11 times for the Blues this season, the young midfielder has kept five clean sheets in the process, earning rave reviews for his on-field displays.
Touted as a future star, Gilmour is comfortable playing anywhere in the middle and has done so for Chelsea this season. Out of his 11 appearances for the Blues this term, he has featured six times as a central midfielder and four times in the holding midfield role. This gives a glimpse of his versatility.
Apart from Gilmour, Chelsea also have star midfielders in N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Jorginho, and a few others. With the side already well-stacked in the middle, signing a new player such as Nandez seems totally unnecessary.
Chelsea have already spilt a lot of cash by roping in Timo Werner from RB Leipzig and Hakim Ziyech from Ajax respectively ahead of next season. That said, Chelsea making a move for Nandez looks like a waste of time and money.
Read more
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Verdict
Chelsea already have enough depth in their midfield and Nandez would just be surplus to the club’s requirements at the moment. Also, with academy graduate Gilmour quickly rising through the ranks, a move for the Uruguayan seems pointless. They can rather use the money to strengthen areas that need real improvement.
