Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing Atletico Madrid midfielder Pablo Barrios.
The 22-year-old Spanish midfielder has been outstanding for Atletico Madrid and is highly regarded across Europe. Bayern Munich want to sign the player in the coming months, while Chelsea will also be in contention to sign him.
According to Fichajes, the cost of acquiring a player could be around 70 million euros. Chelsea certainly have the financial wherewithal to make a deal and it will be interesting to see if they can beat the German champions to his signature.
Arsenal were interested in Barrios until a few months ago. Chelsea are also long-time fans of the player.
Pablo Barrios is a great talent.
They could use more quality and depth in the middle of the park and Barrios would be a long-term acquisition. He can play multiple roles in midfield and his versatility will be a huge bonus. He can function as a defensive midfielder, central midfielder, box-to-box midfielder, but also as an advanced playmaker. Barrios has scored three goals this season.
Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone recently described him as a “fantastic” player. He has the tools to develop into a quality Premier League player and could be a long-term asset for Chelsea. The opportunity to move to England could be an exciting one for the midfielder.
Atlético reluctant to sell Barrios
However, Atletico Madrid would not want to lose a player like him so easily. With coaching and experience, he could develop into a key player for them. They will want to keep him at the club. It remains to be seen how the situation will develop.
Chelsea have quality midfielders at their disposal and adding further depth to that area of the pitch could take them to a whole new level. They will be aiming to win the league title and the Champions League in the near future. They need to continue to improve their team to match Europe’s elite.