Chelsea are reportedly set to open initial talks with Brighton & Hove Albion star Leandro Trossard ahead of a potential January move.
The Blues roped in Graham Potter as a replacement for Thomas Tuchel in September, and after he enjoyed a bright start to his tenure at Stamford Bridge, things turned difficult for him before the World Cup break. Having dropped to eighth in the table after suffering three consecutive defeats, Graham Potter is keen on bolstering his squad when the transfer window opens in January.
According to Football Insider, the Chelsea boss wants to reunite with Leandro Trossard at Stamford Bridge. Potter has made the Brighton star his topmost target with the in-form attacker’s contract expiring at the end of the season. The Pensioners will look to get an agreement in place, the report adds.
Trossard, 27, has proven to be a shrewd acquisition for Brighton since arriving from Genk in 2019. The 27-year-old has been in impressive form this season, bagging seven goals and three assists in 14 Premier League appearances, and his consistent performances for the Seagulls has seen Roberto Martinez call him up to the Belgium national team for the ongoing World Cup in Qatar.
Leandro Trossard to Chelsea—Should Potter go all out for him?
Chelsea have fallen flat after a good start under Graham Potter and suffered three successive defeats in the Premier League before the World Cup hiatus. This has put Potter in a spot of bother, and even though co-owner Todd Boehly is expected to be patient and allow him time to rebuild the squad steadily, the Blues boss knows he must quickly turn around the club’s fortunes.
As Chelsea have struggled to score goals consistently since the start of the campaign, Potter is apparently eyeing attacking reinforcements to support his current group of players. The likes of Raheem Sterling and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have failed to impress thus far, so a new attacker is considered as a priority, and the English tactician has set his sights on Leandro Trossard.
Trossard has notched 25 goals and 14 assists in 118 games for Brighton but is at the stage of his career where he deserves to play for a bigger club, either in the Premier League or anywhere in Europe.
The Belgium international has been his club’s standout performer in the English top-flight this term, averaging 1.5 key passes, 0.7 dribbles and 2.6 shots per 90 minutes. He has even been tidy when distributing the ball, as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 74.2% (Stats courtesy: WhoScored).
At 27, Leandro Trossard is entering the prime stage of his career and could make an immediate impact at Chelsea. Potter knows Trossard in and out having managed him at Brighton for three years and should manage to get the best out of the attacker.
Rated at around £25million by Brighton, Chelsea must try and get a deal for the Belgium international quickly over the line.