Chelsea should target ‘terrific’ Bundesliga maestro instead of Kobbie Mainoo, he’s already played with Enzo Fernandez

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As much as Chelsea like Kobbie Mainoo, they may have to start drawing up a list of alternatives to the Manchester United midfielder.

Chelsea are thought to be interested in signing Kobbie Mainoo as he approaches the final two years of his contract at Manchester United.

In a potential blow to the Blues, though, it has been claimed that Mainoo is eyeing a United stay over a move to west London.

The 19-year-old is a talented midfielder, but there are other options out there for Chelsea, ones that are perhaps even better.

• READ MORE: Kobbie Mainoo vs Romeo Lavia – How the stats compare as Manchester United midfielder linked with Chelsea move

Chelsea should go after Exequiel Palacios instead of Kobbie Mainoo

In terms of a midfielder who is likely to bring more to the table than Mainoo right now, it is hard to look past Bayer Leverkusen’s Exequiel Palacios.

The Argentine was actually linked with a switch to Stamford Bridge in November, with it having been reported that Chelsea were considering Palacios.

There is a lot to like about Palacios. He can be an aggressive ball-winner in the middle of the park like a lot of South American midfielders are, but he also has the technical skill they tend to possess.

For example, the 26-year-old has ranked in the 91st percentile for tackles and the 93rd for progressive passes among his positional peers over the last year. In those areas, Mainoo cannot really compete.

Palacios has also played with Enzo Fernandez before, with both men being part of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup-winning squad, so the chemistry that they have on the pitch would be an added bonus for Chelsea.

Simon Rolfes on Exequiel Palacios’ ‘terrific’ mentality

One person who knows a lot about Palacios is Leverkusen’s sporting director Simon Rolfes.

When Rolfes spoke about Palacios following his arrival at the BayArena, he was very quick to praise the player’s mentality.

“We’ve watched Exequiel Palacios for a long time and he’s really impressed us,” Rolfes was quoted as saying by the Bundesliga’s official website. “Despite his young age he’s already achieved a great deal and in addition to his footballing qualities, he’s got a terrific mentality.”

If Chelsea can get Palacios, he would be a much better signing than Mainoo, though the England international obviously has the potential to develop into something truly special in the future.