According to reports, Chelsea are interested in Juventus defender Mattia Caldara. The Blues finished 5th last season hence failing to qualify for the Champions League in the process.
Roman Abramovich did not mess about following their disappointing form in the league as he parted ways with Antonio Conte and appointed Maurizio Sarri as his replacement.
The appointment of the Sarri has been met with much fanfare as his previous side Napoli were widely appreciated for playing some of the best attacking football in the Serie A.
There are high expectations that Sarri can replicate what he did in Italy and similarly create a team known for their attractive brand of football. The Italian has been looking to sign players who can adapt to his system and play the type of football he wants.
One such name he has identified that can fit into his system is Juventus centre-back Mattia Caldara.
During the previous campaign, the Caldara made 27 appearances for Juventus and mustered 1.6 tackles and 4.4 clearances per game on an average.
He won 1.9 aerial duels per game and also made 1.7 interceptions. The defender chipped in with 3 goals thus showing his effectiveness in both the boxes.
Caldara is a strong centre-half who is known for his excellent heading ability. This makes him a threat during set pieces and it is always a bonus having a goal-scoring defender in your ranks.
He has good positioning sense and reads the game well. Caldara is a typical old-school Italian defender. He physically imposes himself on forwards and should be able to adapt seamlessly to the physical rigours of the Premier League.
Conte played a 3-4-3 system during his time at Stamford Bridge that brought success to the club as they won the title and an FA Cup under his tutelage.
Sarri, on the contrary, prefers a flat back four and has played Cesar Azpilicueta as a right-back and Victor Moses on the right wing. This means the gaffer has David Luiz, Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger and Gary Cahill as his centre-back options. In a season where Chelsea will be involved in the Europa League, Sarri will need a set of reliable options that he can trust during the course of the season.
In this case, Caldara would be an excellent signing considering he will provide competition to the other centre-backs and can also easily slot in alongside a natural ball playing defender.
Stats Courtesy: Whoscored
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