Xabi Alonso could be forced to promote Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli or Reggie Watson from the academy after the Chelsea sporting leadership team failed to sign a replacement for Enzo Fernandez on deadline day.
football.london understands that the proposed transfer of Lamine Camara collapsed at the eleventh hour on Tuesday night when Monaco pulled the plug, despite having reached a written agreement with the Blues. Chelsea, whose first two bids were rejected by the Ligue 1 outfit, were suddenly offered the chance to sign the 22-year-old midfielder for a discounted fixed fee of £47m late into the window.
Desperate to raise funds, Monaco approached the Blues when Folarin Balogun's switch to Everton first fell through. It's understood that the Toffees had agreed to fork out £42.5m for the 25-year-old striker, but complications arose during the medical, giving Chelsea the opportunity to sign Camara for less than the original asking price when the Ligue 1 outfit wanted to play hardball.
But when Monaco believed that the Balogun deal was back on with Everton, they cut ties with higher-ups at Stamford Bridge, performing a U-turn that left officials furious. It's understood that the west Londoners had the chance to terminate Fernandez's transfer to Manchester City, but decided to stay true to their word, unlike those at Stade Louis II.
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Although Chelsea are £125m richer, Alonso has lost a body in the middle of the park, which could prove fatal. As a result, the Blues manager has been left with Moises Caicedo, who is highly reliable but suffered an injury at the weekend, Romeo Lavia, who's struggled to stay fit since joining from Southampton in August 2023, and Reece James, who's still transitioning from full-back to midfield.
Valentin Barco, who's now expected to hit the ground running, and Jordan Henderson, who's still recovering from surgery on a broken arm, as well as even Malo Gusto, will be options, too, but Chelsea officials have certainly rolled the dice.
Fortunately for Alonso, he doesn't need to account for a UEFA competition, meaning the Blues will likely only play about 20 games, depending on progress in the Carabao Cup, between now and the January transfer window.
Over the next 17 weeks, there will be two international breaks, totalling about five weeks, and just a handful of midweek fixtures. So long as Alonso can keep Caicedo, James, and Lavia fit, Chelsea should be able to remain somewhat competitive across all fronts.
That said, it's certainly not sustainable in terms of the physical and quality demands for a team that wants to at least qualify for the UEFA Champions League and win a piece of silverware. If the Blues manager grows desperate for reinforcements over the coming months, he could always welcome Reggie Watson and Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli back into the first team.
The Cobham prospects made a great impression during the pre-season tour of Australia and Asia earlier this summer. Nicoll-Jazuli, in particular, caught Alonso's eye, having held his own during a friendly against Juventus.
"It's incredible – I don't even remember when I was 16 who I was playing against," said the Spaniard. "But he was playing against Locatelli, against Douglas Luiz, these experienced players. For sure, it's something that he will remember in the future.
"You can learn so much, as what it takes to be a top-level player is not just about having good technique. It's about understanding the game, having composure with the ball, when to defend hard, many things that he still has to learn.
"This is what I like: to see players progress. So far, they have this desire to learn…"
Source: www.football.london — Read the original article
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