Enzo Maresca should replace Conor Gallagher with a £51m-rated player who Pep Guardiola once called ‘outstanding’.
The West Londoners have brought in Enzo Maresca from Leicester City after he returned The Foxes to the Premier League.
Maresca’s style will require a number of new profiles to be added to the squad this summer transfer window and it may spell the end of Gallagher, with some doubts that he might not fit into his system.
With that said, here is one player they should look to replace him with.
Chelsea should try to sign Joshua Kimmich
Joshua Kimmich was reportedly available for £51m last summer, with Arsenal, Liverpool and Barcelona among the interested parties.
It seems that stance hasn’t changed and Chelsea should join the race for his signature as he’d be perfect for a Maresca system, dictating the tempo and perhaps even operating as an inverted right-back.
The 29-year-old has one year left on his contract so this window could be the final opportunity for Bayern to cash in on him for a substantial fee.
They won’t want to avoid losing him on a free next year and could be willing to sanction his sale for a discounted price.
Joshua Kimmich statistics
Kimmich, who Pep Guardiola was called ‘outstanding’, ranks in the top three per cent for progressive passes compared to his positional peers across the big five leagues, as per FBref.
The Germany international is an excellent metronome and evidently is one of the best in Europe at moving his side forward.
Further, he sits in the top five per cent for shot-creating actions, amplifying his terrific playmaking ability.
If Chelsea do land his signature this summer, it’d be a major coup and one that’d fit seamlessly into Maresca’s possesion-based brand of football.