Chelsea sound out Iliman Ndiaye as transfer interest gets "serious" | OneFootball

Chelsea have reportedly got a serious interest in Everton winger Iliman Ndiaye as they have sounded him out as a summer transfer target.

The Blues have also been targeting Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers, but it looks like a deal is unlikely for now due to Arsenal being in a stronger position.

This, according to Simon Phillips, has led Chelsea to look at Ndiaye as another option to strengthen their attack.

The Senegal international impressed in the Premier League in the season just gone, contributing six goals and three assists.

Admittedly, those numbers aren’t exactly outstanding, but those who’ve watched him play will also know that the stats don’t tell the whole story.

Iliman Ndiaye would add quality and experience for Chelsea

Ndiaye is a technically gifted player with real elegance and flair, while he’s also a lot more experienced and proven in the Premier League than the players Chelsea have often signed under this ownership.

The 26-year-old could be a welcome change from some of the Blues’ recent signings, who have so often been quite underwhelming and unable to cope with the pressure of playing for such a big club at such a young age.

Ndiaye looks ready to make the step up after impressing at Everton, and there’s every chance he could improve on his goal and assist numbers if he were able to slot into an attack-minded team with quality around him.

Chelsea will hope that will be the kind of platform they can provide players under new manager Xabi Alonso next season.

Signings will also be key, however, to helping Alonso become a success at Stamford Bridge, with the Spanish tactician showing what he’s capable of during his time as Bayer Leverkusen manager, though he struggled with the rather more chaotic situation at Real Madrid in the first half of last season.