Chelsea star says yes to joining Madrid; his exit can fund Simons & Rodrygo

A lot has gone very right for Chelsea so far this summer.

Enzo Maresca’s men overcame what many assumed would be too big a hurdle in Paris Saint-Germain to win the Club World Cup, and have been making some great moves in the transfer market.

The three big signings made so far are undoubtedly Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro, but the club show no signs of stopping there.

For example, recent days and weeks have seen them linked to bona fide superstars like Rodrygo, who could cost up to £86m, and more up-and-coming talents who could develop into stars, like Xavi Simons, who appears to have a £52m price tag on his head.

However, it’s not all about bringing players in, as Chelsea have made several sales, and now it appears that one of the most important players has agreed to leave, which could help fund moves for the Real Madrid and RB Leipzig stars.

Why Chelsea want to sign Rodrygo & Simons

It’s certainly the case that, as things stand, Chelsea have plenty of attacking options in their squad. However, ultimately, having more can never hurt, and when they’re of the quality of Rodrygo and Simons, they could end up being hugely impactful next season.

For example, despite playing out of his preferred left-wing position for most of the last two seasons, the Brazilian “superstar,” as dubbed by Luka Modrić, has found the back of the net on 31 occasions and provided 20 assists in 105 appearances, totalling 7159 minutes.

That means the former Santos gem has been averaging a goal involvement every 2.05 games, or every 140.37 minutes across the last two years, which is undoubtedly impressive.

Moreover, when it comes to the Champions League, which the Blues will finally be back in again, his record is remarkable.

In his 64 appearances in the competition, totalling 3883 minutes, the 24-year-old has scored 25 goals and provided 14 assists, which comes out to a goal involvement every 1.64 games, or every 99.56 minutes.

However, what’s crucial to consider here is that eight of his 25 goals have been game-winning, and eight have come in the knockout rounds, so he could prove essential if the West Londoners want to make it far in the competition next season.

The Leipzig ace might not have the same pedigree when it comes to Europe’s top competition, but he was still seriously effective for the German outfit last season.

For example, in 33 appearances last season, totalling 2763 minutes, the Amsterdam-born monster scored 11 goals and provided eight assists, which comes out to a brilliant average of a goal involvement every 1.73 games, or every 145.42 minutes.

Moreover, despite turning 22 only a few months ago, he has already won 28 senior caps for the Netherlands, in which he has scored five goals and provided four assists, suggesting he’s not fazed by the big stages either.

In all, signing both players would make Chelsea a far more formidable proposition next season, but they’d likely need to make a big sale to do so, which, based on reports, they may well do.

The Chelsea star who has agreed to leave

While their incomings have dominated the conversation for fans, and understandably so, Chelsea have already made a few notable sales this summer, with Noni Madueke and Kepa Arrizabalaga going to Arsenal for a combined fee of up to £57m, for example.

However, with the club still clearly looking to make some sizable additions to the squad, some more consequential sales may have to follow.

As things stand, the exits that feel most likely to happen include João Félix’s return to Benfica, Raheem Sterling’s move to an unnamed Champions League side, and potentially the sale of Nicolas Jackson for a tidy profit.

Yet, there is now another, far more important Blues star who is being linked with a massive departure: Enzo Fernández.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, the Argentine international is now a key target for Real Madrid, and a player their new boss, Xabi Alonso, has an ‘obsession’ with and sees as ‘essential’ to improve his midfield.

The report makes it clear that the West Londoners are reluctant to part with their midfield maestro, but he has already given the green light to the Spanish giants, who are working on an offer worth around €150m, equivalent to approximately £130m.

While that is a massive amount of money, and would go a long way in helping to bring in some other game-changing talents, this might be a move that’s hard to stomach for fans if it happens.

After all, the World Cup winner has now made 115 appearances for the Conference League champions, in which he has scored 16 goals, provided 23 assists, and really helped turn Maresca’s side into one that can give anyone a game.

Ultimately, it remains to be seen if this deal goes ahead, but if it does, BlueCo needs to ensure they use the entire fee on new, exciting additions, such as Rodrygo and Simons.