Chelsea Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Ben Gibson and Ricardo Rodriguez
Chelsea will reportedly have scouts in attendance to run the rule over Middlesbrough's Ben Gibson during the newly promoted side's Premier League match with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
The 23-year-old is one of several players Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is said to be considering to help bolster a suspect defence, including Burnley centre-back Michael Keane.
Chelsea feel Arsenal will provide a thorough examination of Gibson's ability to step up a level, according to Sami Mokbel of MailOnline: "With the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Theo Walcott all likely to be involved at the weekend, Chelsea scouts feel the clash at the Emirates Stadium will provide them with a perfect opportunity to grade Gibson's progress."
It's a reasonable assumption since the Gunners have scored at least three goals in five of their eight league matches, per the club's official site. The run includes a 3-0 trouncing of Chelsea that's likely prompted Conte's renewed vigour to improve his defence.
Gibson is far from the only target the Italian strategist has in mind, per Mokbel: "Conte wants to sign at least one central defender during the January transfer window, with Juventus' Leonardo Bonucci top of his list. But the club also want to sign a homegrown centre-half, with Gibson and Burnley's Michael Keane firmly on the Stamford Bridge club's radar."
Gibson boasts a pretty decent pedigree, having helped Boro earn promotion a season ago. At the time, Karanka's squad boasted the meanest defence in England's four divisions.
Yet things haven't been as secure at the back since the club returned to the top flight. Gibson and Co. have already surrendered 11 goals through eight matches, according to the division's official site.
Still, Karanka has been full of praise for the young centre-back. Back in August, he lauded the player's work rate, particularly in light of the fact that he's often accused of benefiting from being the nephew of Middlesbrough owner Steve Gibson, per Philip Tallentire of the Evening Gazette.
Gibson has enjoyed a rapid rise, one based on merit, but moving to a club expected to challenge for the title every season would be a huge step up.
Conte Keen on Ricardo Rodriguez
Chelsea are targeting new options for the heart of defence, but Conte is also keen on adding more width. Specifically, he's showing interest in Wolfsburg's Ricardo Rodriguez, according to Italian source TransferMarketWeb (h/t James Benson of the Daily Star).
The reports indicate Conte is unhappy with how deadline-day signing Marcos Alonso has performed and sees Rodriguez as the ideal alternative in the January transfer window.
This isn't the first time the Blues have been linked with the Switzerland international. In fact, the Stamford Bridge club was credited with being prepared to spend £22 million on the energetic full-back in August, per Adrian Kajumba of the Daily Mirror.
It would be a good idea for Conte to revisit the idea of acquiring a defender with wing-back qualities. Rodriguez has pace and strength, traits he uses well going forward.
Conte recently reverted back to the 3-4-3 formation he used so well at previous stops with both Juventus and the Italian national team. It's a tactical structure demanding energetic full-backs who can tirelessly raid the flanks to provide width going forward and cover defensively.
Rodriguez, 24, has built a fine reputation for doing exactly those things at both club and international level.
It's taking Conte longer than expected to shape Chelsea in his own image. His three-at-the-back structures are key to that identity.
Yet the Blues need more and better central defenders to make it work, as well as the right players out wide. In this context, Gibson and Rodriguez make sense as transfer targets.
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