Chelsea are reportedly ‘preparing a bid’ to sign Atletico Madrid midfielder Pablo Barrios, as per Spanish outlet Fichajes.
The 22-year-old started his youth career at Real Madrid’s La Fabrica academy before joining Los Rojiblancos back in 2017. He made his first-team debut at Estadio Metropolitano back in 2022 before establishing himself as a key player in recent times.
He made 31 La Liga appearances last term and helped his side qualify for the Champions League by finishing in the top three. This season, he has started six games across all competitions.
Now, Fichajes state that having been impressed by the Spaniard’s recent eye-catching performances, Chelsea have registered their interest in signing him and are ‘preparing a bid’ worth around £61m to seal the deal.
However, purchasing Barrios won’t be straightforward for the West London club as Bayern Munich are also contemplating making a move.
Atletico Madrid have no intention of parting ways with their key man just yet and aren’t in any rush to sell him, as his existing deal is set to run until 2030. Therefore, Chelsea might have to launch a bigger offer to persuade the Spanish giants to cash-in on him next year.
Barrios to Chelsea
Barrios is a deep-lying playmaker by trait but is also comfortable in the box-to-box role. He is technically sound, can play threading passes between the lines, has an eye for long-range passing, and also works hard without possession.
Since moving to Stamford Bridge from Brighton, Moisés Caicedo has established himself as a talismanic figure. Alongside the Ecuadorian, another big-money signing, Enzo Fernandez, has been the first-choice midfield option for Enzo Maresca’s side.
Romeo Lavia, Dario Essugo, and Andrey Santos are also options for Chelsea. But the former Southampton star has continued to struggle with fitness problems since joining, while Essugo has been out injured, having recently joined.
Santos, on the other hand, plays as a rotational option. So, Maresca is seemingly planning to add further quality to the engine room to create competition for Caicedo and Enzo. Barrios has showcased glimpses of his qualities in La Liga recently and possesses the potential to reach the top.
Therefore, he would be a great coup for Chelsea should they eventually manage to secure his service in January or next summer.
