Imagine him & Caicedo: Chelsea plot move for “one of the best CMs in Europe”
Chelsea have arguably had a more turbulent start to 2026 than any other Premier League side. They sacked Enzo Maresca on New Year’s Day and are still on the hunt for a new manager as they look to have a strong second half of the season.
It will be interesting to see how this affects the recruitment at Stamford Bridge, although it is unclear how much say the manager gets.
Reports following the Italian’s sacking suggest that the signing of Alejandro Garnacho was simply “put to Maresca for his opinion” rather than him having much input.
It certainly seems like recruitment will continue regardless of the managerial situation, and they are reportedly eyeing up a big target.
Chelsea target big-name Premier League star
Chelsea have not been afraid to splash the cash under the new owners, who seem to have the majority of power when it comes to transfers.
Their midfield, for example, is made up of £107m Enzo Fernandez and £115m Moises Caicedo.
However, the Blues might not be done there when it comes to signing expensive midfielders.
According to a report from Football Insider, they are said to be ‘closely monitoring’ Newcastle United star Sandro Tonali and have a ‘firm interest’ as they search for ‘proven Premier League midfielders.’
This might be a deal that the West Londoners are more likely to do in the summer rather than this January, but they are getting their due diligence in early. As for a price, it was revealed back in October that the midfielder could cost as much as £130m.
What Tonali could bring to Chelsea's midfield
There is no doubting the ability of former AC Milan star Tonali. He has shone in the middle of the park for the Magpies, living up to the “generational” tag he earned from journalist Carlo Garganese as far back as 2020.
Fast forward to 2025 and in the words of Newcastle journalist Joel Bland, the Italian is “one of the best midfielders in Europe”.
Indeed, this season has been another impressive campaign from the 30-cap Italian international. He’s featured 25 times in all competitions, chipping in with four assists along the way, sitting at the base of midfield and dictating play from deep.
Tonali is one half of a dominant midfield duo for the North Eastern outfit, alongside Bruno Guimamares. The pair have formed a brilliant partnership, and are “one of the best in the Premier League” according to the Brazilian.
The fact that Tonali is part of such a high-class midfield might well be music to Chelsea fans’ ears. They would no doubt hope he can form a similar partnership with their own £100m midfield stars, Fernandez and Caicedo.
The importance and talent of that existing Chelsea pairing is a massive part of the furniture in West London. It is their first-choice pivot, although perhaps Fernandez is better in a more advanced role, and has operated as a number 10 this season.
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Indeed, the 2022 World Cup winner has played 25 times this season, grabbing five goals and two assists in that time, showing his natural attacking instinct. As for Caicedo, he’s one of the best defensive midfielders around, making 23 appearances this term.
If Chelsea were to secure the signing of Tonali, he could add the quality on the ball that Chelsea need to make this midfield truly unstoppable. This season, he’s averaged 16.6 forward passes per 90 minutes and done well off the ball, with 5.5 ball recoveries each game.
Tonali key stats in 25/26 PL
Stat
Per 90 mins
Season total
Chances created
1.2
17
Long passes completed
2.6
38
Forward passes
16.6
244
Duels won
3.8
55
Ball recoveries
5.5
80
Stats from Squawka
Imagine that as a trio. The combative Caicedo sat alongside Tonali, who can help dictate play and progress things forward, with Fernandez playing higher up, operating in the final third. It really does feel like a very well-balanced midfield, with progression, a real engine and attacking threat from all three.
There is no doubt that £130m is a huge investment for the Blues. Yet, they’ve proven they are willing to spend that money, so they could complete one of the most expensive midfields in the world by signing Tonali, which can surely only be a good thing for Fernandez and Caicedo.
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