Chelsea in talks for “one of the best 10s in the world”

While there is still some work to be done, Chelsea have been incredibly effective in the transfer market this summer.

Enzo Maresca and Co. clearly wanted the majority of their first-team additions to be before the start of pre-season, and they’ve largely succeeded.

One team that has been quite the opposite is Manchester United, who got their hands on Matheus Cunha early but then proceeded to take well over a month to agree a fee for Bryan Mbeumo.

The Europa League runners-up look to have finally got their man for a price that could reach £70m with add-ons, and now it looks like Chelsea want to sign someone who’s been compared to the Cameroonian international.

Chelsea target their own Mbeumo

Chelsea should enter next season full of confidence, as, in addition to the team that secured them fourth place last year, they’ve added some serious talent.

The likes of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro will undoubtedly make Maresca’s side far more potent upfront, and the tremendously exciting Jamie Gittens should add more quality to the left-wing position.

Moreover, the West Londoners have shipped off Noni Madueke to Arsenal for a profit and could be set to earn a sizable payday on some of their other unwanted players.

The Conference League champions are not done there, though, as they now look determined to bring in a young attacker who could be their answer to Mbeumo.

At least, that’s according to a recent report in Friday’s print edition of Spanish publication Sport, as relayed by Sport Witness, which claims Chelsea are seriously interested in Xavi Simons.

The report reveals that, alongside United, the Blues have held talks over a move for the Dutch international, although the reported price tag of around €70m is proving to be a problem.

It could end up being a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but Simons has proven he’d be worth spending big on, especially as he could be Maresca’s own Mbeumo.

How Simons compares to Mbeumo

One of the most significant comparisons between Simons and Mbeumo stems from FBref, which analysed players in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League across the last 365 days.

It then concluded that the Brentford star was the fourth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the RB Leipzig star.

The best way to understand how that conclusion was reached is by examining some of the underlying metrics in which the pair ranked closely.

These include things like non-penalty expected goals plus assists, progressive carries, goal-creating actions, successful take-ons, tackles won, shots and more, all per 90.

These numbers help show that, although he’s three years his junior, the former Paris Saint-Germain gem, who one analyst has dubbed “one of the best 10s in the world,” is just as adept at creating and scoring chances.

Moreover, both players are positionally versatile, with the soon-to-be United star thriving on the right, as a second striker, or up top, while the Amsterdam-born dynamo can play off either wing or in the ten.

Finally, both players were effective outlets for their respective teams last season, with the Cameroon international scoring 20 goals and providing nine assists in 42 games, as the Blues target scored 11 goals and provided eight assists in 33 games.

Ultimately, it won’t be cheap, but Chelsea should do what they can to sign Simons this summer as he would add some serious quality to their squad and be the perfect answer to Mbeumo.