Five signings that could transform Pochettino’s Chelsea

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Moises Caicedo

Midfield is an area that needs additions ahead of multiple exits. N’Golo Kante’s departure has been confirmed, while Mateo Kovacic and Mason Mount are expected to follow and there are doubts over Conor Gallagher and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Moises Caicedo has been identified as a leading transfer target and Chelsea are viewed as frontrunners to sign the Ecuador international. Caicedo has been a revelation since breaking into the Brighton team and starred as the Seagulls secured a top-six finish and Europa League qualification last season.

.@MoisesCaicedo55 is SO good. 🤤 pic.twitter.com/BeD6O8Xgxw

— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) January 5, 2023

The 21-year-old ranked second in the Premier League for both tackles and interceptions, while he performed impressively in comparison to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, ranking in the 94th percentile for pass completion, 87th percentile for tackles and 89th for interceptions.

Given this was Caicedo’s first full season in a major European league, the numbers are impressive and the midfielder still has significant room to grow and develop. He is perhaps the closest thing to a Kante replacement and still with his best seasons ahead of him.

Lautaro Martinez

Goals were a major issue for Chelsea last season with just 38 scored from 38 league fixtures. Just three teams who avoided relegation – Wolves, Bournemouth and Everton – scored less goals than Chelsea, in what was the second-lowest scoring league campaign in the club’s history.

The experiment of using Kai Havertz as a false nine appears over with the German on the verge of signing for Arsenal and a recognised centre-forward should be a focus for Pochettino and his recruitment team. Christopher Nkunku has arrived from RB Leipzig and was the joint-leading scorer in the Bundesliga last season, but the Frenchman is not an out-and-out number nine and works best when operating off a main forward.

Chelsea are understood to have held a long-standing interest in Lautaro Martinez, who has also been linked with Manchester United and Real Madrid. The 25-year-old has scored 79 goals in 173 league games for Inter, including hauls of 21 in each of the last two Serie A campaigns.

LAUTARO 🐂 @Inter_en #EASportsSupercup pic.twitter.com/3nf3AiKSj7

— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) January 19, 2023

Martinez is contracted at the San Siro until 2026 and Inter are under no pressure to sell, but a big bid – potentially including Romelu Lukaku in part-exchange – could prove persuasive.

The Argentina international appears an ideal fit for Pochettino’s high-intensity game-plan, offering remarkable defensive numbers in comparison to forwards in Europe’s top-five leagues. Martinez ranked in the 98th percentile for interceptions, 94th for blocks and 85th for tackles last season, while boasting impressive percentile rankings for non-penalty goals (90), shots (94) and assists (90) per 90 minutes. It is the sort of all-action numbers that have made Martinez in high demand.

Romeo Lavia

Chelsea’s recent recruitment has been focused on emerging talent and links to Romeo Lavia should come as little surprise given the midfielder’s breakthrough campaign at Southampton.

Signed from Manchester City last summer having seen his route to first-team football blocked at the Etihad, Lavia impressed despite a season of struggle for Southampton that ended in relegation.

The teenager was press-resistant and elegant in possession, able to side-step opposition challenges at the base of the midfield and move Southampton onto the front foot with progressive passes.

The strike 💥
The passion ❤️@RomeoLavia‘s #PL account: OPEN 🔓 pic.twitter.com/wWXEq5RwfY

— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) August 30, 2022

Chelsea made an offer to sign Lavia just weeks after his arrival at St Mary’s last summer, where he became an instant hit with his composure, ability to read the game and work-rate off the ball.

Chelsea appointed Joe Shields as Co-Director of Recruitment and Talent in October, the man behind Lavia’s move to Southampton during his time as Head of Senior Recruitment at the Saints. Another effort to sign the Belgian would come as little surprise, with Lavia’s combination of promise and poise one that has alerted England’s elite.