Chelsea can forget Xhaka by signing their new Kante for £80m

Chelsea are at a low ebb, but Xabi Alonso is building something at Stamford Bridge, and there is hope that the Blues will be challenging for titles once again next season.

It’s perhaps a measure of Chelsea’s capacity to fight for trophies that even last season, with so much going wrong, they reached the FA Cup final.

But with Marc Cucurella having been sold to Real Madrid, and Enzo Fernandez pining for the exit himself, there’s an undeniable sense that Chelsea are losing some of their superstar power, with their Premier League slump reflecting that.

Long gone are the days of N’Golo Kante and Cesc Fabregas marshalling and making moves in the middle of the park. Replacing someone such as Kante is far easier said than done, but Chelsea do need to target players capable of driving this project up onto higher ground.

BlueCo decided that Andrey Santos, for all his potential, was not the man for the task, with the Brazilian set to be sold to rivals Manchester United.

Why it’s time for Santos to leave Chelsea

Santos returned to Chelsea from Strasbourg last summer with the wind in his sails. He had been exceptional under Liam Rosenior in France, hailed as a “duel monster” who has “everything you want in a centre-midfielder” by analyst Ben Mattinson.

But he only started 13 times in the Premier League last term, and left a lot to be desired. It felt like Santos lacked the poise and confidence that fuelled him during his time in France, that he failed to take opponents by the scruff of the neck and provide Chelsea with the all-action presence they needed at the heart of the field.

Fernandez’s future in west London might be uncertain, but Moises Caicedo signed a new seven-year contract in April, throwing Santos’ hopes of playing a focal role over the next few years into doubt.

Some might consider selling him to Man United a risky gamble, but the Red Devils are paying £50m for his signature, and it’s hard to say that that’s not good business from Todd Boehly and company.

Santos, 22 years old, brims with potential, but he’s not the only talented up-and-comer around, and if Chelsea manage to replace him with an even better midfielder, Alonso could be laughing his way past the Old Trafford side next season.

A bid for Sunderland’s Granit Xhaka is proving difficult, but ther short-term relief that the veteran Swiss midfielder would provide could be dwarfed by landing a big-money Premier League star who could become Chelsea’s new version of Kante.

How Alonso can find Chelsea’s new Kante

Chelsea have added Marco Palestra to their ranks this summer, while Geovany Quenda’s move to Stamford Bridge has been confirmed. These are strong signings, but Chelsea need someone with Premier League experience to help propel them up the table.

This requires midfield reinforcement, even if Fernandez stays. Xhaka is an interesting target, but the Blues could do with a long-term addition who can have a Kante-esque impact.

Bournemouth’s Alex Scott could be that man. According to Chelsea insider Simon Phillips, the 22-year-old midfielder may well be the subject of a Blues bid now that Man United have moved for Santos. Talks are allegedly already underway with the player’s camp too.

Scott has been of a vested interest to United, but it feels unlikely that they would meet the £80m valuation required to sign the England international, leaving Chelsea with a clear shot at one of the division’s most exciting players.

Signing Scott would be an exciting move indeed for the Chelsea persuasion, not least because the Guernsey-born midfielder is “Tottenham through and through“, according to content creator Seb Martin. He has played 89 times for the Cherries, and he became a mainstay in Andoni Iraola’s successful system.

Whether he would leave a legacy that parallels with Kante at Stamford Bridge is one question, but his silky, technical style is underpinned by a composure and ball-carrying ability that Kante used to fuel his own ambitions in the English game – and they were ambitions that he certainly realised.

According to analyst Raj Chohan, “Scott is very good at making himself available in space and making the right passing choices.” He is intuitive and willing to firm responsibility, both in possession and when focusing on winning the ball back.

He is still young, but already demonstrates maturity that Santos has failed to mimic so far, and in that, could prove a real jackpot signing for this Chelsea team, who would land experience with plenty of room to become a world-class outlet under a manager in Alonso who is renowned for his tactical expertise, unlocking levels within his players.

Scott is not Kante, but his athleticism and intelligence across midfield could see him occupy an influential midfield role that echoes that of the French legend, especially when considering he would be supported by the tough-tackling Caicedo.

Scott, crucially, differs in profile to Santos. He is more expansive and influential on the ball. He may, in that regard, not be a carbon copy of someone like Kante, but he could end up enjoying a similar effect to the diminutive French midfielder who arrived from Leicester City and achieved (more) greatness.

Like Kante, Scott has a wealth of Premier League experience that could prove invaluable for a struggling Chelsea side. The Blues won the 16/17 title in Kante’s first season, having slumped to a tenth-place finish the year before.

This would be a significant signing for Chelsea. Can they get it over the line, effectively handing Alonso an instant upgrade on a midfielder who played a bit-part role for a struggling side last season?