Since Todd Boehly became owner of Chelsea in 2022, they have spent over £1b to assemble the squad which you see in the present day. Whilst not all of these signings have been a success, they have certainly not been afraid to break the bank on multiple occasions.
Twice in 2023, Chelsea smashed the record British transfer fee, firstly by signing Enzo Fernandez for £107m from Benfica in January. In the summer, they broke the record again, signing Moises Caicedo from Brighton for £115m.
Boehly has also spent lots of money to improve Chelsea defensively. They signed Lyon right-back Malo Gusto for £26.3m, as well as French centre-back duo Axel Disasi for £38.8m last summer, and Benoit Badiashile for £35m in January 2023. Both players were signed from Monaco.
However, Chelsea might not yet be finished signing French centre-backs, having been linked to one of the most exciting Les Bleus talents from recent years, who could well prove to be better than Badiashile.
Chelsea's centre-back target
The man whom Chelsea are reportedly targeting at centre-back is one of the most valuable young defenders in world football, Castello Lukeba of RB Leipzig. According to FootMercato, the Blues enquired about Lukeba this summer, although Leipzig are steadfast in their commitment to keeping him at the club.
According to Transfermarkt, 21-year-old Lukeba at £34m, with Chelsea’s own Levi Colwill the only U21 defender valued at more, £42.9m to be exact. Leipzig paid Lyon almost exactly that to sign Lukeba in the first place, spending £34.3m on the 21-year-old last summer.
Interestingly, Lukeba has a release clause of the value of £60m in his current contract with the German side. However, that does not become active until the summer of 2025, meaning Leipzig are under no pressure to sell him in 2024. He has become a key player for them this season, making 28 Bundesliga appearances so far.
Chelsea might have to fight a Premier League rival for the signature of Lukeba, with Manchester United also rumoured to be interested in the centre-back, according to FootMercato. The Red Devils are thought to have been monitoring the Frenchman “for several weeks”.
How Lukeba compares to Badiashile
If Chelsea were to sign Lukeba in the coming weeks, it would create interesting competition between him and his fellow Frenchman, Badiashile. The first thing to note is that both players are left-footed, meaning they will likely be competing to play in the same position.
Statistically, both players are quite similar. Their progressive passing numbers are almost identical. According to Fbref, Lukeba averages 3.79 progressive passes per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the 62nd percentile. In comparison, Badiashile averages 3.65 progressive passes per 90 minutes, which, as per Fbref, places him in the 58th percentile among defenders in Europe.
Both players are deceivingly quick across the ground, too, which helps them when it comes to ball recoveries. Their numbers are similar here again, with Lukeba averaging 5.90 ball recoveries per 90 minutes, which places him in the top 18% of centre-backs. In contrast, Badiashile averages 5.79 ball recoveries per 90 minutes, placing him in the top 20%.
Where Lukeba trumps Badiashile is in his progressive carrying numbers. The RB Leipzig man averages 0.96 progressive carries per 90 minutes, which puts him among the best 20%. Comparatively, Badiashile averages just 0.27 progressive carries per 90 minutes, which ranks him as low as the 18th percentile.
Lukeba would certainly make a good option on the left-hand side of a back three in possession. His pace, ability to defend wide areas and progressive nature would make him a good fit for that role.
Should Chelsea decide to bring the 21-year-old in this summer, it would be an interesting contest between him and Badiashile for a place in the Chelsea backline, especially considering the fact they would need to compete against Colwill for a starting spot, too.
Either way, considering how poorly the Frenchman played against Arsenal – dropping a 2/10 performance in the eyes of GOAL reporter Tom Maston – an upgrade wouldn't be a bad idea, would it?
Boehly must cash in on Chelsea man who dropped a 2/10 v Arsenal
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ByDan EmeryApr 24, 2024