It looks a bit like Chelsea were coasting in the last few weeks as the squad waited for Frank Lampard to be sacked, so it won’t surprise anyone if they suddenly come back with determination and effort tonight.
That will also be the case off the field as Thomas Tuchel comes in with his own transfer targets, so it’s interesting to see that the David Alaba links have been given new life after his appointment:
Thomas Tuchel gives Chelsea a boost in the race to sign David Alaba with Real Madrid among clubs interested. https://t.co/vxWoZE6OGf
— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) January 27, 2021
There were reports just over a week ago which actually indicated that Alaba had signed a pre-contract agreement with Real Madrid, but nothing has been confirmed and it now looks like those reports were premature.
A report from Goal has also indicated that Tuchel is likely to push for Alaba’s signing in the summer and he’ll be the priority over Declan Rice, so that makes it sound like he could be targeted as a midfielder.
READ MORE: Thomas Tuchel already facing concern over Chelsea star unsettled by managerial changes
Alaba has moved away from left-back in recent years and Ben Chilwell has looked solid since signing so he’s unlikely to be used there, while the centre of defence is loaded with numbers so that’s not an urgent need just now either.
The situation at Real Madrid also looks unclear as there is a feeling that this could be Zidane’s last year, so it would make sense for Alaba to hold fire for a few months and see how things work out before committing to anyone.