Chelsea Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Ben Gibson and Nelson Semedo

Chelsea will reportedly face competition from Leicester City in the battle to sign Middlesbrough defender Ben Gibson this summer.

According to John Cross of the Daily Mirror, the Premier League champions are keen to strengthen their options at the back and have isolated the 24-year-old as an ideal acquisition. However, Chelsea are said to hold an interest in the centre-back, as do Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.

It’s suggested in the report that Boro rate Gibson highly and, as a result, will hold out for a fee of £30 million before they decide to cash in.

For Chelsea, Gibson would be a fascinating acquisition and a player who looks as though he’d be suited to playing in Antonio Conte’s 3-4-3 setup. As WhoScored.com noted earlier in the campaign, opposition attackers have found him difficult to get the better of:

Gibson has fantastic defensive instincts, with an ability to spot danger and win individual battles. Additionally, he’s aggressive, dynamic and a composed distributor.

What will also be desirable to possible suitors is that the Boro man is left-sided. It’s a trait that brings fantastic balance to a defence, particularly in a back three, where the centre-backs need to filter wide and pass the ball out from the back with precision.

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Football journalist Patrick Boyland commented on Gibson’s quality earlier on in the campaign:

Should Boro go down this season, it’s going to be difficult for them to keep hold of a player of Gibson’s calibre and there’ll likely be a queue of clubs happy to take him off their hands.

Chelsea would be an intriguing option for the player, and of the current defensive options, he could offer great competition to Gary Cahill on the left side of the back three. However, Gibson must ensure his next club can give him the minutes needed to continue his impressive development.

Nelson Semedo Rumours

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According to A Bola (h/t Lucas Sposito of Sport Witness) Chelsea may emerge as potential rivals to Manchester United for the signature of Benfica full-back Nelson Semedo.

It’s suggested in the report that while United have held a longstanding interest in the player, the Blues are also monitoring him. Chelsea’s interest has the potential to evolve from a passing one to something more serious too, it’s noted.

Semedo has excelled with the Lisbon club this season and is rated as one of the most exciting rising stars in his position in Europe. This is what he can offer:

Although he’s technically deployed as a defender, Semedo does his best work in the opposition half. 

Watch any Benfica game this season and the 23-year-old’s searing bursts forward are a hallmark of the team’s attacking play. His dribbling is thrilling, his pace is blistering, and Semedo frequently picks the right option, with six assists in the league this season.

There are still some inconsistencies in his game, but as noted by Portuguese football journalist Tom Kundert, Semedo seems to relish the big occasions:

It’d be easy to see the Portugal international thriving at Chelsea, and he’d be a brilliant alternative to Victor Moses in the right-wing-back position.

The Blues don’t have another player with the energy and thrust that’s vital in that role; it’s something they will need to address in the summer window with European football on the agenda again next season. Semedo would tick a lot of boxes.