Chelsea have the chance to seal their second trophy under Enzo Maresca when they face PSG in the Club World Cup final.
It will be a tough task, as the French side are arguably the best side on the planet, evidenced by their 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan in the Champions League final.
Enzo Fernandez will be crucial as the Argentine will be tasked with trying to keep possession for the Blues, while also aiming to stop PSG from mounting attack after attack in the final third.
That being said, despite Maresca signing plenty of attacking players this summer, might the former Benfica starlet be growing worried amid the club’s latest transfer link?
Chelsea enquire over Barcelona midfielder
The list of attacking players linked with the Blues is lengthy, but Maresca now looks like he could be set to add a midfielder or two to his squad.
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According to Caught Offside, Chelsea, along with Arsenal, have enquired about the availability of Barcelona star Marc Casado this summer.
The Catalan giants are demanding €50m (£43m) should any club wish to make an official bid for the Spaniard.
He does have a release clause worth €100m (£86m), but due to their financial situation, Barcelona may be forced to accept a lower offer. If Maresca does sign the player, it could be bad news for Fernandez.
Why Chelsea must sign Marc Casado
Last season in the Premier League, Fernandez played alongside Moises Caicedo in the heart of the Chelsea midfield.
He registered 13 goal contributions in the top flight, while also creating 13 big chances and averaging 2.3 key passes per game for the Blues. The Argentine may be a more effective player going forward, but defensively, Casado has the upper hand.
Indeed, last season, the Barcelona starlet tackled a higher percentage of dribblers (48.8% vs 36.9%) per 90, along with committing fewer fouls (26 vs 52) and making more interceptions (22 vs 13) in their respective domestic leagues.
Accurate passes per game
53
Goals
1
Assists
3
Total duels won per game
4
Big chances created
3
Tackles per game
1.9
Furthermore, Casado also won more total duels per game (53% vs 47%) and lost possession fewer times per game (7.7 vs 12.8) than the current Blues midfielder.
With the club signing a plethora of attacking players this summer, shoring up the midfield now appears to be Maresca’s priority.
A move for Casado could have Fernandez fearing for his place in the starting XI next season, that’s for sure, with Caicedo seemingly a shoo-in to start, having been described by Maresca as “one of the best, if not the best, defensive midfielder in the world”.
Following Spain’s victory over Switzerland last November, Casado was showered with praise by teammate Bryan Zaragoza, who said: “He’s an animal. I don’t even know what to say about how he played. He’s barbaric.”
This sort of player is exactly the type of midfielder that Maresca would love to have available to him.
Aged just 21, Casado is only going to get better with age, especially by playing in the Premier League and Champions League for the Blues.
If the Stamford Bridge side can secure his signature for a decent fee, it might turn out to be one of their best signings of the summer, with Casado representing a perfect partner to Caicedo in the centre of the park.
For Fernandez, however, it could well be bad news in the long run.
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