Chelsea Could Ditch Mount For Sensational Teen
Despite Todd Boehly’s priorities lying in securing a new permanent Chelsea manager, there is still plenty of talk surrounding potential summer signings.
Indeed, according to Spanish outlet Diario AS, Chelsea have reportedly met with Barcelona youngster Gavi and his representatives in order to secure the signature of the player during the summer.
The 18-year-old only signed his first professional contract with the La Liga side which will keep him there until 2026, however, due to their ongoing financial problems, they have been forced to remove him from their registration of first-team players and this means the £160m-rated talent could remarkably become a free transfer this summer.
This is music to Boehly’s ears, with arguably one of the finest teenage stars in world football able to move without the need for a transfer fee and the American is aiming to make the midfielder one of the highest earners in the Premier League.
With Gavi being admired, it could well spell the end of Mason Mount’s time at the club. Liverpool have shown a keen interest as of late, and it could be time to cash in once the season is finished.
Could Chelsea sign Gavi this summer?
Chelsea certainly have the financial clout to lure Gavi to England there is no doubt about it, however, due to financial fair play regulations, there will surely have to be some major outgoings in order to balance the books with the Blues potentially set to ditch Mount.
The Englishman has featured 24 times in the league this term and with an average Sofascore rating of 7/10, he ranks as the ninth-best player in the squad according to overall rating.
It’s been a solid if unspectacular campaign for Mount, registering just five goal contributions and creating only three big chances. Therefore, it might be time to bring in someone who not only could improve the team but will also become a mainstay for the next few years.
Gavi was lauded by journalist Miguel Delaney as being “sensational” while Josh Bunting claimed the youngster is “excellent to watch” and there is no doubt that his feats over the previous 18 months have caught the eye of a lot of clubs.
He became the youngest-ever scorer for Spain in the World Cup when he netted against Costa Rica in the group stage victory and his statistics over the previous 12 months suggest he is one of the finest players on the continent.
Indeed, the 18-year-old ranks in the top 10% across Europe’s big five leagues when it comes to pass completion rate, interceptions, blocks, aerials won and touches in the attacking penalty area, suggesting his all-round ability would be crucial for Chelsea.
That final fact marks him out as someone who could well flourish in Mount's more advanced position. While not a natural goalscorer like the England star, the Barca youngster has proven his creative talents already by producing 12 assists at club level to date.
The next few weeks could be an interesting time for the club in their approach for the Spaniard and he could well be donning the blue of Chelsea come 2023/24.