HITC has reported that Chelsea are in the market for a new left-back this summer and have one French option on their list.
HITC understands that Chelsea are interested in AC Milan left-back Theo Hernandez this summer as the West London club look for more options in that role.
Chelsea are understood to believe that Hernandez could be the ideal fit for the Blues under new manager Enzo Maresca, who moved to West London after a spell at Leicester City.
Hernandez is hugely adept at playing as an inverted left-back which he has been doing at such a high level for a long time now.
What has been said about AC Milan left-back Theo Hernandez
The French left-back, who had previous spells at Spanish giants Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, moved to the San Siro in 2019 and has been a consistent performer for the Rossoneri.
One person who will know perhaps more about Hernandez than many others is former AC Milan defender and current director Paolo Maldini.
“If Theo plays the third of matches I played for Milan, he’ll beat me,” Maldini said as per Milan TV. “This is very clear; I’ve never been a forward. I would be happy to be overcome, because I would enjoy these goals.
“Theo is a very particular full-back: he is absolutely a full-back, but what he does is not done by anyone else, above all for his ability to finish, to assist and to come onto the pitch. He has slightly revised the modern idea of the full-back.
“Especially the first year he seemed to wait for the 70th minute to make these sprints that have something incredible, especially if you consider that the finalization or the assist come after 70 meters of running with the ball.”
Former AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli was also full of praise for the Frenchman, he said: “With Theo, we saw what Paolo and I have been saying for a while: that he is becoming the strongest left-back in the world.”
Chelsea hope to beat competition for Hernandez
The Blues have now entered the race for the left-back but Bayern are also understood to still be interested as a potential replacement for Alphonso Davies.
HITC reported that Chelsea and Manchester City were interested in the Canadian left-back from Bavaria but Davies’ preference is a move to Real Madrid.
As for Hernandez, he would represent a superb signing for the Blues if they can pull it off. Last season for AC Milan, Hernandez scored five Serie A goals and provided four assists in the Italian top division.
The post Chelsea target has ‘revised the modern idea’ of how to play the position, says Paolo Maldini appeared first on HITC.
from HITC https://ift.tt/VpZ1CDU
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