Third raid on Portugal?
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Chelsea have enjoyed a fine summer of transfer dealings and success on the pitch after lifting the Club World Cup, but the price of success is losing Levi Colwill, one of the key members of Enzo Maresca’s side. The 23-year-old suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury during training and will miss the majority of the 2025-26 Premier League season. The England international is expected to be sidelined for around nine months as he begins a long period of rehabilitation. That will prove to a major blow to the west London club, given that Colwill played the most minutes of any defender throughout the 2024-25 campaign.
Blues boss Maresca has a wealth of options to choose from at centre-back, chiefly new €44.2 million signing Jorrel Hato and Benoit Badiashile. But the Italian revealed his preference is to sign another new defender to fill the void left by Colwill. “It’s a priority for me, yes, because Levi is a fantastic player,” Maresca told Channel 5. “What we achieved last season is because of him also. I love him, I’m going to miss him. We are trying also to find different solutions.”
Centre-backs are a valuable commodity in the modern transfer market, and Maresca’s preference for players comfortable with the ball at their feet and playing out from the back certainly narrows the search. Additionally, Chelsea have spent €280m on transfers already this summer, so being financially-prudent will be crucial. As such, Transfermarkt have picked out five centre-backs with a transfer value under €50m who could fit the bill at Stamford Bridge.
Piero Hincapié was a part of Bayer 04 Leverkusen’s very own ‘Invincibles’ when they won the Bundesliga title whilst going unbeaten for an entire season. But losing Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Granit Xhaka indicates the club are in a transitional period and it might also convince the 23-year-old his future lies elsewhere. A powerful defender with impressive athleticism and pace, the left-footed centre-back would be an ideal addition to slot in for Colwill. However, Leverkusen are flushed with cash and won’t sell the Ecuadorian on the cheap.
Chelsea’s blossoming relationship with Sporting saw them swoop for Geovany Quenda and Dario Essugo earlier this summer in a combined €74.4m deal. Few could blame Ousmane Diomande, then, for wondering what life is like with his former colleagues in west London. The 21-year-old has featured on Chelsea’s radar previously without a transfer materialising, while Crystal Palace were loosely rumoured to be interested in the Ivorian defender. He offers tremendous aerial ability and a confidence on the ball that resonates with how Maresca likes his players to be. If the Blues move for a centre-back, expect Diomande to be on the shortlist.
Castello Lukeba has several European clubs keeping close tabs on his progress after excelling in Saxony since joining from Lyon two years ago. Chelsea’s co-sporting director Laurence Stewart is a keen admirer of young French talent, having signed Benoit Badiashile, Malo Gusto and Lesley Ugochukwu in recent years, and Lukeba could be on his radar. His club RB Leipzig typically play hardball when it comes to Chelsea, having rejected past offers for Josko Gvardiol – now at Manchester City – and more recently Xavi Simons. But the lure of Champions League football could convince Lukeba to jump ship.
A recent target of Newcastle and also Chelsea, Giorgio Scalvini would represent a smart piece of business both for now and the future. Already capped eight times by Italy, Scalvini’s versatility as a centre-back and makeshift left-back fits perfectly into Maresca’s system. He also possesses the physical attributes to make the move to the Premier League a seamless transition, standing at 6ft 4in and showing a tendency to win most of his aerial duels. But Atalanta BC have made it clear they don’t want to sell, meaning Chelsea may have to dip into their chequebook once again if they want to bring the talented 21-year-old to Stamford Bridge.
There is no better audition for a prospective new club than impressing against them. That is exactly what António Silva did during the Club World Cup when Chelsea beat 10-man Benfica 4-1 after extra time. Silva provided a strong, commanding performance at the back for the Portuguese side, even making a clearance off the line to deny Marc Cucurella, and his display didn’t go unnoticed from a Chelsea point of view. His team-mate Tomas Araujo is also another name that has cropped up in recent times. But Benfica’s reluctance to deal with Chelsea after the Enzo Fernandez saga could make it a tricky deal to pull off, forcing them perhaps to pay over the odds for the 21-year-old if they show interest in him.