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chelsea Against Bournemouth, the team struggled again, giving up a 1-0 lead at Stamford Bridge after trailing 2-1 in the second half. fortunately Enzo Maresca’s Bian, club captain Rhys James After returning from injury this week, he scored a free kick in the 95th minute to save a point for the Blues.
An inability to hold on to a lead, a slow start to the second half and then losing control of the game as the team falls into adversity have been common themes among Maresca’s side of late. In recent weeks, the Blues have lost 1-0 to Fulham, Crystal Palace and now Bournemouth, while also dropping points against Ipswich Town and Everton.
While much of this is down to the squad’s inexperience and age, the balance of the squad has also been thrown off since Wesley Fofana’s injury, which could lead to Chelsea directors looking for replacements in the January transfer window Their star right centre-back choice.
Chelsea are looking for a centre-back
according to Report by GIVEMESPORT Chelsea had been keeping tabs on Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande earlier this week and were on the lookout for the 21-year-old in last weekend’s Taka League final.
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Reports ahead of the 2024 summer transfer window suggest his price will be at a certain level Release clause of around €80m (£67m).
Other players the Blues are said to be eyeing in Portugal include Benfica duo Tomas Araujo and Antonio Silva, while Chelsea look ready to move on from Crystal Palace defender Marc Gay.
Diomande has 25 appearances so far this seasoncontributed ten clean sheets in all competitions and played a total of 1,893 minutes.
Diomande vs Fofana comparison
Fofana you have 12 appearances for Chelsea this season (All 12 games were in the Premier League), contributed 3 clean sheets, and played a total of 1,017 minutes. Maresca himself even praised Fofana, saying “i love wes“And call the French “fighter“.
That said, Diomande is described by Ben Martinson as “Mixed race son of Gabriel and (William) Saliba” He brings the physical attributes to his game, as well as the technical qualities to drive forward with the ball and attack from the back in an elite possession system.
This is similar to the Arsenal pairing – they are called ” Europe’s best centre-back duo Rio Ferdinand – ensuring, among other things, that he could actually be a perfect replacement for Fofana.
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Diomande vs Fofana comparison |
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|---|---|---|
|
Statistics (per 90 minutes) |
Diomande |
breathe |
|
progressive carry |
0.22 |
1.24 |
|
Progressive Pass |
2.64 |
2.21 |
|
try pass |
81.2 |
62.2 |
|
Pass completion rate % |
94.4% |
89.6% |
|
Entering the last three areas |
2.47 |
3.89 |
|
Tackle |
1.10 |
1.15 |
|
Building Blocks |
0.55 |
1.24 |
|
intercept |
1.15 |
1.06 |
|
Win the air duel |
2.69 |
2.04 |
|
Statistics taken from FB reference |
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When comparing the two players’ stats this season, you can see that Diomande has increased responsibility in possession, is averaging more passes, and is making more progressive passes for his team. .
A progressive pass is considered to be a progressive pass if the distance between the starting point and the next touch is at least 10 meters from the opponent’s goal or any completed pass into the penalty area.
However, his progress rate has been reduced as he has played in the middle of a back three this season rather than as a wide central defender like last season, which is more similar to Fofana’s role under Maresca. .
Both defenders have excellent physical fitness, excellent recovery speed, long leg extension to help ground confrontation, and aggressiveness when attacking, helping them win aerial confrontation and obtain the first contact.
Diomande would be an excellent replacement for Fofana, adding a quality that has been missing from Maresca’s side since the Frenchman’s injury. The main question that may arise later is who will be the starter when Fofana is fully fit?
