Chelsea could join the race to sign Ajax fullback Nicolas Tagliafico when the transfer window opens. The Blues are looking for a new left-back and have also been heavily linked with a move for Leicester City’s, Ben Chilwell who will apparently cost £85m.
The London club can reportedly sign the Argentine international for a fee of £22.4 million in the summer, as per The Telegraph. Given Chilwell’s astronomical purported fee, Chelsea will do well to explore other options as well. And this is where Nicolas Tagliafico, a cheaper and more viable alternative for the Premier League side, comes in. One player from the Dutch side, Hakim Ziyech, has already signed a deal and will join the Blues ahead of next season.
Arsenal have also been linked with a move for Nicolas Tagliafico in the summer. The 27-year-old full-back has been with Ajax since 2018 and has been a dependable figure for them.
Nicolas Tagliafico: A shrewd move by the club?
Chelsea and manager Frank Lampard have been plagued with issues over the left-back position. While the right-back spot has two solid options in captain Cesar Azpilicueta and breakout star Reece James, the left-back options have been less than impressive. Marcos Alonso has flourished in a wing-back role, but with Lampard rarely playing that system, the Spaniard is of no use in the full-back position with his defensive skills shockingly lacking quality. Emerson, the other option at left-back, hasn’t been very great either and has been very inconsistent thus failing to nail down a regular spot in the team despite receiving plenty of opportunities.
The signing of Tagliafico would solve the left-back issues for Chelsea. The Argentine is a solid and dependable figure, thanks to his tenacious tackling and impressive work-rate. The 27-year-old likes to get up and down the flanks from his left-back position, and often builds attacks with his accurate short passes. In the 2019-20 Dutch league season, he averaged 52.6 passes from left-back, with an accuracy of 85.9% – impressive numbers for a full-back.
He has the ability to gauge the situation well while defending and nip in to make interceptions and tackles, and quickly advance up the field. He also chips in with goals from full-back, scoring 12 goals and making 15 assists in 99 appearances.
Nicolas Tagliafico would be a very good signing for the Blues, thanks to his cheap price tag, his vast experience – having made over two dozen appearances for the Argentine national team – and possessing great quality in attack and defence.