Who should Chelsea sign to ease the burden on Caicedo & Fernandez? | OneFootball

Chelsea will sign a midfielder this summer to ease the burden on Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, according to the Telegraph.

Manager Enzo Maresca has overused the ever-present pair due to the lack of suitable midfield options.

The Blues want to sign a midfielder who can step in to fill the void, most likely in both central midfield positions.

However, it is worth noting that the Blues currently have natural holding midfielders to cover for Caicedo, including Andrey Santos, Dario Essugo and Romeo Lavia.

What the club doesn’t have is a player who can adeptly cover for Fernandez in the more advanced midfield role.

He has his off days, but he is one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the world and a vital cog in Chelsea’s engine room.

Chelsea have been linked with moves for Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace) and Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United),

Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest) could also enter the picture, as he is one of the finest midfield talents around.

Each player has their merit. Wharton is an elegant playmaker who can unlock defences with his supreme technical quality.

He struggles defensively, but his otherworldly blend of control and progressive passing makes him worth a shot.

Before being shifted out of the first-team picture at United, Mainoo was a terrific prospect. His ability to connect midfield to attack is impressive.

He will be on the market this summer after struggling for game time, and Maresca could use his talents in Fernandez’s absence.

Anderson is a complete all-rounder who can easily slot in for both Fernandez and Caicedo. He can dictate the tempo and take a game by the scruff of its neck.

Ultimately, Anderson feels like the most Chelsea-ready option of the three.

Wharton’s technical quality is undeniable, but his injury record and defensive vulnerabilities make him a risky solution for a side already exposed in transition.

As refined as Wharton is on the ball, his profile does not fully address the problem Chelsea are trying to solve.

It is worth noting that Mainoo is the player Chelsea are most likely to pursue. He is younger and possesses the ball-carrying ability Maresca values so highly in advanced midfield areas.

He makes sense as a long-term investment and a rotational option behind Fernandez.

However, if Chelsea want to compete for top honours, Anderson offers genuine two-way security.

He can deputise for both Fernandez and Caicedo without forcing Maresca into tactical compromises.

Anderson is comfortable driving through pressure, breaking lines with carries and passes, and sustaining the intensity Chelsea’s system demands over 90 minutes.

He understands when to sit, when to surge forward, and when to take responsibility in possession, traits that mirror what makes Fernandez so indispensable.

Anderson stands out as the most complete solution.