Chelsea have turned their attention to two of last season’s most impressive performers in the Championship as new boss Enzo Maresca targets midfield reinforcements
Chelsea are weighing up moves for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Archie Gray after both impressed in the Championship last year.
The Blues are expected to be active in the transfer market once again after appointing Enzo Maresca as their new head coach earlier this summer and the Italian is keen to reunite with Dewsbury-Hall, who was an influential figure in the Leicester City team that Maresca guided to the Championship title last term.
Dewsbury-Hall, 25, scored 12 goals in all competitions for the Foxes under Maresca. Brighton are also long-term admirers of the highly-rated midfield maestro and attempted to sign him back in January.
As first revealed by The Telegraph, Chelsea are also keeping tabs on Gray. The Leeds United prodigy, 18, valued in excess of £30million by his club, also starred in the second-tier last year and is believed to have a whole host of Premier League suitors, including Manchester United.
It’s outlined that Chelsea have informed Leicester and Leeds of their interest in Dewsbury-Hall and Gray, 18, although they have not made a formal offer for either.
Maresca is keen on bolstering his midfield options after succeeding Mauricio Pochettino earlier this summer. The Blues want the strength in depth to cope with a bloated fixture list next season after qualifying for the Europa Conference League. And the prospect of more matches at the Club World Cup, which takes place next summer, could also influence their transfer dealings.
In an interview with BBC Sport earlier this week, Dewsbury-Hall was coy over his future amid speculation he could leave his boyhood club this summer despite promotion.
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He said: “I have been here since I was a kid. I love everything about the club. I grew up and managed to play in the first team. I am happy. I have never said I am actively wanting to leave. That sort of stuff is not up to me. You never know with football – the season is about to start, so we will see.”
He went on to wax lyrical about Maresca, tipping the new Chelsea boss to become one of the top managers in the game following his big summer switch to London.
Dewsbury-Hall added: “Enzo was an unbelievable manager. I genuinely see him becoming a top manager, so it wasn’t a surprise to see he was in demand. It is weird having to change a manager after being so successful, but that’s football.
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