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Chelsea centre-back Wesley Fofana will miss a good chunk of the 2023-24 season after suffering yet another injury setback. The club confirmed via their website that the 22-year-old has undergone anterior cruciate ligament surgery and is currently in the rehabilitation phase.
Fofana is yet to make his mark with the west London club since joining last summer as a result of injuries. He was in and out of the squad last term, making just 22 appearances across competitions for the Blues.
The former Leicester City defender is one of the most experienced and reliable central defenders at Chelsea at the moment. He was supposed to play a huge role in Mauricio Pochettino's setup.
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However, his injury leaves a hole at the back for the Blues with only Thiago Silva, Levi Colwill, Benoit Badiashile, and Trevoh Chalobah as the only options in the central defence. Chalobah could still leave the club this summer while Thiago Silva is not getting any younger.
The west London club are now considering roping in another centre-back to stand in for the injured Fofana. Without further ado, this article will highlight three centre-backs the club can sign as a backup for the Frenchman.
#3 Edmond Tapsoba
Bayer Leverkusen's Edmond Taposoba is one smart option the Blues can bring in to deputize for the injured Fofana. The Burkina Faso international is a right-footed centre-back with the right qualities for Pochettino's side.
The 24-year-old is good with the ball on his feet and a good passer of the ball. He achieved a 68.51% pass compeletion rate of 2187 pases made last season in the Bundesliga.
His defensive statistics are also eye-catchy. Last term, he recorded 1.60 tackles, 1.13 interceptions and made 3.13 clearance for every 90 minutes he was on the pitch for the Bundesliga club. Additionally, he won 1.72 of aerial duels contested and 4.29 of ground duels challenged.
He is currently attracting interest from other Premier League clubs which is a testament of his qualities. As per football.london, Tottenham Hotspur have made him one of their major targets this summer.
However, with the right price and incentive, Chelsea can join the race and beat the others to the signature of the player who will be a smart additon to the club
#2 Benjamin Pavard
Benjamin Pavard, the France International is another ideal option Chelsea can consider to bolster their defensive unit. The Bayern Munich star is a world-class and experienced defender who will offer versatility in defence for the Blues.
Pavard is natutally a right-back but can also comfortably play in the heart of defence. He played 23 out of his 43 games across competitions at centre-back, scoring four goals and giving one assist, helping keep 12 clean sheets. His wealth of experience playing at the highest level will come handy if recruited to Stamford Bridge.
Additionally, Bayern's possible signing of Manchester City's right-back Kyle Walker could also ease an exit from the Allianz Arena for the 27-year-old. As seen on The Guardian, the Bavarians are keen to bring the Englishman to Germany and have reportedly agreed on personal terms with the player.
If the deal eventually pulls through it would mean stiff competition for Pavard in his preferred position. A chance of first-team football in a new league could spur the Frenchman to put pen to paper with the Blues.
#1 Harry Maguire
Another decent option for Chelsea in centre-back is Manchester United's out-of-favor defender Harry Maguire. While it can be argued that the Englishman has not been reliable in recent seasons, his experience and abilities can not be completely overlooked.
However his age (30) and valuation reduces the possiblilty of a transfer to west London club. Nonetheless, the Englishman could be a good short-term fix while Fofana still remains sidelined. A season-long loan deal for the English defender could be a win-win situation for the Blues and the Red Devils.
Maguire was recently stripped off the captaincy at Manchester United. This decision by manager Erik ten Hag is a clear statement that the former Leicester City defender would most-likely not be a starter in his setup next term.
Also, one can not entirely rule out the possibility of the Manchester club extending Johnny Evans' contract for the entire 2023-24 season. If this becomes the case, Maguire could fall further down the pecking order at Old Trraford.
With the Euros coming up next year, the former United skipper would be desperate for regular action and he can get that at Chelsea.
