Chelsea’s latest interest in Casemiro hints at Thomas Tuchel’s tactical setup for the coming season. The 30-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this month, amid growing doubts that either Aurelien Tchouameni or Declan Rice will be available.
The Brazil international has appeared 31 times for Real Madrid this season, helping the Spanish giants maintain one of La Liga’s best defensive records. His contract at the Santiago Bernabeu runs until June 2025. Since his breakthrough in 2015, when he joined from Sao Paulo for a shrewd £5 million, his impressive performances have guided Los Blancos to a third league title.
Casemiro has been the driving force behind Real Madrid’s recent success, anchoring a three-man midfield to great effect. Tuchel is keen to rebuild Chelsea’s midfield options, and the Brazilian has emerged as the ideal candidate to help the west Londoners transition to a 4-3-3 formation.
Casemiro has made such an impression in the Real Madrid midfield that Gus Poyet has stated that Zinedine Zidane’s success is contingent on the Brazilian’s availability. “Zidane four months ago found the solution to Madrid’s problems by playing Casemiro and he won the Champions League,” the former Chelsea midfielder told The Independent in 2016.
The Blues’ need to invest in midfield is a result of the uncertain futures of Jorginho and N’Golo Kante, who are both set to leave Stamford Bridge when their contracts expire at the end of next season. According to the Mirror, if Todd Boehly wants Casemiro’s services right away, Chelsea will have to wait until after the Champions League final to find out his availability.
According to the report, the 30-year-old wants a lucrative new contract with Real Madrid. However, according to the Mirror, Los Blancos president Florentino Perez is “adamant” that the club will not give him one.
As a result, it’s expected that Real Madrid will welcome offers for Casemiro this summer, and that they’ll be willing to sell him for around £42.5 million. The La Liga winners, though, will ‘gladly’ keep the defensive midfielder provided he abandons his quest for a rise, according to the article.
Despite this, Chelsea is said to be interested in signing the veteran midfielder, although they will face stiff competition from PSG and Juventus. According to the Mirror, Casemiro prefers a transfer to the Premier League and would most likely seek a three-year contract in the capital.
Tchouameni, who has been connected with the Blues, has been identified by Carlo Ancelotti as the ideal alternative for Casemiro, according to Spanish publication Marca. As a result, Chelsea may be tempted to forego their original interest in the Monaco teenager in favor of a more experienced manager – a strategy that, oddly, worked well when Roman Abramovich initially took over.
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