Pablo Barrios in action for Atletico Madrid against Valencia (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Chelsea are considering making a January transfer window offer for Atletico Madrid midfielder Pablo Barrios as both Carney Chukwuemeka and Cesare Casadei could leave.
Sources with a close understanding of Chelsea’s plans have informed CaughtOffside that the Blues are open to listening to offers for both Chukwuemeka and Casadei, who have fallen out of favour under manager Enzo Maresca.
Barrios is understood to be one of Chelsea’s top targets in midfield, with the feeling being that, although Atletico Madrid don’t want to sell, the 21-year-old could have his price, which would be in the region of €60million.
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As well as Chelsea, there is also interest from Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Barcelona, CaughtOffside understands.
Man City could also do with strengthening in midfield this winter as Rodri is expected to be out injured for the entire season.
Pablo Barrios looks a great fit for Chelsea’s transfer model
Chelsea have done well in recent times to sign some elite young talent, though arguably with mixed success.
While Cole Palmer and Moises Caicedo have done very well at Stamford Bridge, there have also been some notable flops like Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk.
Still, Barrios looks like the kind of young player who could make a good fit for CFC, especially if they decide to make a change from the out-of-favour Fernandez in the near future.
Barrios has really excelled in his time in Madrid and it wouldn’t be too surprising to see a richer club coming along at some point and poaching the Spaniard.
Still, clubs like Bayern and Barca would also be very tempting destinations, so there’s no guarantee Chelsea would be able to win the race for his signature.
It could be smart, however, for Barrios to give serious consideration to the west Londoners at the moment as it might be his best bet for a move that guarantees him a good amount of playing time and development.
