Chelsea kicked off the year in their usual chaotic fashion.
First came the announcement that head coach Enzo Maresca had walked away, and then a few days later, Liam Rosenior was announced as his permanent replacement.
The Englishman has an almighty job on his hands to lead the Blues back to sustained glory, but he is highly thought of and did a reasonably impressive job with Strasbourg in Ligue 1.
Moreover, it now looks like Chelsea are planning to back him this year, with one player, who could be their new Moises Caicedo, recently linked to the club.
Chelsea target their next Caicedo
While things haven’t exactly gone to plan over the last month or so, Rosenior does have a very talented squad at his disposal at Chelsea.
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However, if the Blues want to keep up with, and even surpass, the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool in the coming seasons, they’ll need to add to that squad.
The good news for the new boss and the fans is that it looks like the club are planning to do that and are now being linked with someone who could be another Caicedo.
At least that is according to a recent report from TEAMtalk, which claims Chelsea are interested in Elliot Anderson.
The report states that alongside several top sides like Bayern Munich, the Blues remain in the conversation for the Nottingham Forest star, who could cost as much as £100m in the summer.
However, on top of that massive price tag, a potential hurdle to this deal is that Manchester City are currently seen as favourites to land the Englishman’s signature.
With all that said, even if it proves to be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, Chelsea should fight for it as Anderson is an excellent footballer and could be their next Caicedo.
Why Anderson could be Chelsea's next Caicedo
Now, while it would be premature to claim that Anderson is already on the level of Caicedo, it’s equally true to point out that there are a number of similarities between them and their potential moves.
Starting with the latter, if Chelsea were to get their man in the summer, it would be another example of them signing a Premier League-proven star in the making right before they start to hit their peak.
Likewise, it would be another example of them getting an international star wanted by their ‘big six’ rival.
Moving on to the similarities between the players themselves now, like the Blues’ midfield general, the Tricky Trees star is someone who can play in both central and defensive midfield, but seems to be at his best in the latter.
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From there, he is able to mop up opposition attacks and then kickstart one for his own side.
While fans can see his ability to do both with their eyes, it’s also visible through his hugely impressive underlying numbers.
For example, FBref ranks him in the 1% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues for ball recoveries, the top 8% for successful take-ons and carries into the penalty area, the top 12% for passes into the final third and more, all per 90.
Anderson’s Scout Report
Statistics
Per 90
Percentile
Ball Recoveries
7.55
Top 1%
Tackles (Def 3rd)
1.41
Top 6%
Dribbles Challenged
2.97
Top 6%
Penalty Kicks Made
0.02
Top 7%
Successful Take-Ons
1.27
Top 8%
Carries into Penalty Area
0.50
Top 8%
Passes into Final Third
6.57
Top 12%
Crosses
3.62
Top 12%
Blocks
1.65
Top 12%
Penalty Kicks Won
0.02
Top 13%
Tackles Won
1.61
Top 14%
Total Carrying Distance
224.62
Top 14%
Progressive Passes
6.90
Top 15%
Progressive Passing Distance
277.84
Top 15%
Tackles
2.66
Top 15%
All Stats via FBref
In other words, the “phenomenal” midfielder, as dubbed by the Blues’ own James, can be relied upon to progress the ball into dangerous areas either by carrying or passing it, which helps to make him such a useful player to have in the middle of the pitch.
Ultimately, while it won’t be easy, Chelsea should do all they can to sign Anderson this summer, as not only is he an incredible player, but he could also be another Caicedo.
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