Chelsea are in the market for a new right-back after club captain Reece James has been ruled out
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Chelsea are looking to sign a replacement for Reece James, after the right-back suffered a hamstring injury against Everton last weekend.
James limped off the Goodison Park pitch in the 26th minute, with Chelsea later confirming his injury. The England right-back is now set to see a hamstring specialist to put aside his injury woes, leaving Chelsea with just Malo Gusto available.
Gusto, though, has also faced fitness issues this term, so the Blues are ready to enter the transfer market to bring in a new right-back in the January transfer window.
James' recent injury could see Chelsea enter the transfer market (Image credit: Getty Images)
According to TEAMtalk, Chelsea are interested in signing Borussia Monchengladbach defender Nico Elvedi, who could be available for around £30m.
Though primarily a centre-back, Elvedi is also a capable right-back who has filled in there for both his club and at national team level for Switzerland. The 27-year-old's versatility makes him an attractive prospect for the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge, with defensive issues still in need of addressing.
While Reece James' and Malo Gusto's fitness has been a problem, the age of Thiago Silva, availability of Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana, the performances of Axel Disasi have all been cause for concern at Chelsea this term.
Elvedi is a target for Chelsea (Image credit: Getty Images)
Elvedi, therefore, could prove the perfect foil for Mauricio Pochettino's side, with the Swiss defender also reportedly keen on a Premier League move in the near future.
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The report suggests that Elvedi has recently signed with super-agent Pini Zahavi, who represents Robert Lewandowski, Aleksandr Mitrovic and Chelsea new-boy Christopher Nkunku.
Elvedi's Monchengladbach contract still has three-and-a-half years remaining, though, meaning the Blues will be required to stump up a large transfer fee in order to bring him to the club.
Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.
