Chelsea now look set to miss out on the signing of Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen this summer.
At one point, Chelsea were the favourites to sign Huijsen. However, it is now being widely reported that the 20-year-old is closing in on a move to Real Madrid.
It means the Blues will have to prioritise other centre-halves, such as Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi.
Guehi is also a target for Chelsea, but the England international is not the only alternative to Huijsen that the club have.
- READ MORE: Chelsea now want to sign Dean Huijsen and ‘aggressive’ defender in stunning double deal this summer
Chelsea have scouted Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa this season
Chelsea are interested in signing Morgan Rogers to improve their attack and also appear to have another Aston Villa star on their radar.
Journalist Simon Phillips recently claimed that the Blues have watched Ezri Konsa closely this term and could make a move for him when the transfer window opens.
On Si Phillips Talks Chelsea, Phillips wrote: “I can confirm via our own sources that he [Konsa] is a player that Chelsea have had on their scouting tasks for this season and they have been watching him closely ahead of making a potential move on him this summer.”
Villa will not want to sell Rogers or Konsa, with both men being key players for Unai Emery’s side.
Konsa has made almost 50 appearances in the current campaign, showing his importance to Villa’s backline.
Huijsen is the central defender Chelsea really want, though. It is thought that Chelsea are willing to offer Huijsen more money than Real Madrid, but that may not be enough to convince the Spain international to move to Stamford Bridge.
How John Terry helped Ezri Konsa in his career
A move to Chelsea would see Konsa follow in the footsteps of John Terry, who played for the Blues before coaching the 27-year-old at Villa.
Konsa enjoyed his time working with Terry, grateful for the advice that the Chelsea legend gave him.
“He was great for my career at the time,” the former Brentford man told BBC Sport last year. “He helped me mentally and gave me advice on how to maintain a high level. It’s something I’ll always be grateful for.”
Konsa may be a name that underwhelms some Chelsea fans. But the England player has plenty of experience and is familiar with the Premier League.
With this Chelsea squad being a very young one, perhaps Konsa could be a good addition to it.
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