Chelsea faltered yet again against Bournemouth, giving up a 1-0 lead to go 2-1 down in the second half at Stamford Bridge. Luckily for Enzo Maresca’s side, club captain Reece James managed to score a 95th-minute freekick after returning from injury this week, to rescue the Blues a point.
An inability to hold onto their leads, starting second halves slowly and then losing control of games as the team comes under adversity, have all been common themes of late for Maresca’s men. In recent weeks, the Blues have lost 1-0 leads to Fulham, Crystal Palace and now Bournemouth, also dropping points against Ipswich and Everton.
Whilst a big part of this is the inexperience and age of the squad, the balance has also been off since the injury to Wesley Fofana, which could see the Chelsea directors move in the January transfer window for a replacement for their star right central defender.
Chelsea's search for a centre-back
According to reports from GIVEMESPORT earlier this week, Chelsea have been keeping an eye on Sporting defender, Ousmane Diomande, scouting the 21-year-old in the Taca de Liga final last weekend.
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Reports from before the summer window in 2024 stated his price would be somewhere around his €80 million release clause (£67m).
Other names the Blues are said to be watching in Portugal include Benfica pair, Tomas Araujo and Antonio Silva, as Chelsea look primed to move on from Crystal Palace defender, Marc Guehi.
Diomande has made 25 appearances so far this season, contributing to ten clean sheets in all competitions, totalling 1,893 minutes played.
Diomande vs Fofana comparison
Fofana has made 12 appearances for Chelsea this season (all 12 coming in the Premier League), contributing to three clean sheets and totalling 1,017 minutes played. Maresca himself even praised Fofana, stating “I love Wes” and calling the Frenchman a “fighter”.
That said, Diomande has been described by Ben Mattinson as a “hybrid between Gabriel & [William] Saliba”, having the physical elements to his game, alongside the technical quality to progress the ball and play out from the back in an elite possession-based system.
That likeness to the Arsenal pairing – who have been dubbed the best centre-back duo in Europe by Rio Ferdinand – among other factors, ensures he could actually represent a perfect replacement for Fofana.
Stats (per 90 mins)
Diomande
Fofana
Progressive Carries
0.22
1.24
Progressive Passes
2.64
2.21
Passes Attempted
81.2
62.2
Pass Completion %
94.4%
89.6%
Passes into Final Third
2.47
3.89
Tackles
1.10
1.15
Blocks
0.55
1.24
Interceptions
1.15
1.06
Aerial Duels Won
2.69
2.04
When comparing the two players’ metrics from this season, you can see the added responsibility Diomande has on the ball, averaging more passes attempted and making more progressive passes for his side.
A pass is considered progressive if the distance between the starting point and the next touch is at least 10 meters closer to the opponent’s goal or any completed pass into the penalty area.
However, his progressive carries are down, due to playing in the middle of a back three this season, rather than as the wide central defender like he did last season, which is more similar to Fofana’s role under Maresca.
Both defenders excel with excellent physical attributes, having brilliant recovery pace, long leg extension to aid their ground duels and an aggressive nature when attacking the ball, helping them to win aerial duels and make the first contact.
Diomande would offer a brilliant replacement for Fofana, adding the attributes back to Maresca’s side that have been missing since the Frenchman’s injury. The main issue that could come up later down the line, is when Fofana returns to full fitness, who becomes the starter?
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