Chelsea target Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen for summer swoop | OneFootball

Chelsea desperately need to shore up a defence that has been characteristically brittle for most of the season.

The Blues have shipped 30 goals this term – only two teams in the top half of the table have conceded more. Their defending has been schoolboyish at times, and they need a centre-back partner to command the backline.

They have sorely missed the leadership of Thiago Silva at the back and should be out to find an experienced centre-back.

Bournemouth are punching above their weight in seventh place on the league log thanks to a defence that has been superb, and Huijsen has helped the Cherries keep five clean sheets in 17 appearances, becoming a mainstay in the backline alongside Illya Zabarnyi.

Huijsen has won 58% of his aerial and 57% of his ground duels while recording outstanding progressive numbers.

In our view, Chelsea need an experienced head to partner Levi Colwill and bringing another youngster into this already immature team will not move the needle.

Chelsea need to sieve defenders like Wesley Fofana and Axel Disasi out for someone ready to lead the rearguard.

They can consider bringing Marc Guehi back to Stamford Bridge. Manchester City might sell one or two of their established defenders after signing Vitor Reis and Abdoukodir Khusanov. An inexperienced Huijsen is not what this Chelsea squad is crying out for.

Ultimately, Chelsea need a tough and experienced customer, not more youth. The sporting directors have stubbornly adopted this policy of buying unproven players, which has deeply hurt the club.

They need to wise up and put some high-calibre performers on the roster if they want to challenge for titles.