Chelsea are interested in signing Atletico Madrid centre-back Jose Gimenez, according to reports.
The Blues shelled out around £230million in the summer transfer window to bolster their squad with the signings of Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Ben Chilwell, Hakim Ziyech and Edouard Mendy.
While they also brought in experienced defender Thiago Silva on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain, there is a sense that they could still be in the market for another central defender.
Silva is 36 and is coming towards the end of his career, while Antonio Rudiger has consistently been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge this season.
Journalist Fabrizio Romano told listeners of his Here We Go podcast that Chelsea have been monitoring Gimenez as a potential target in coming windows. Gimenez ticks lots of boxes for the Blues. He is still young, at 25 years old, but also has a wealth of experience, having made 194 appearances across all competitions for Atletico and won 60 caps for Uruguay.
The Uruguayan is one of the key players in European club football’s outstanding defences, with Atleti having conceded just two goals in eight La Liga games so far this season.
Gimenez signed a five-year contract with Atletico in 2018, meaning he is tied to the club until the summer of 2023, while Diego Simeone’s side also inserted a release clause of £106 million into his deal, as reported by Bleacher Report.
A player of his quality is also bound to be on the radar of Europe’s other heavyweight clubs, with Romano previously reporting interest from Manchester United and Juventus, so any move would not be straightforward for Chelsea.
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However, as they showed in the summer transfer window, the Blues are not adverse to paying big transfer fees if they are sure about the player they are signing.
Havertz cost an initial £62m from Bayer Leverkusen, while Werner set Chelsea back £47.6m from RB Leipzig. Owner Roman Abramovich is eager to return Frank Lampard’s side to the summit of English football, so a big-money move for Gimenez is not out of the question.
