Chelsea can replace Enzo Fernandez with PSG’s biggest talent

Chelsea can sign PSG’s biggest talent to replace Enzo Fernandez Make us your Google favourite Chelsea were ultimately left frustrated on Deadline Day as they missed out on securing a replacement for Enzo Fernandez. But this disappointment could set the Stamford Bridge side up for a huge raid on PSG in the future. Monaco’s Lamine Camara had been earmarked as Fernandez’s heir in West London, yet a series of coincidences late in the transfer window saw that deal collapse and a rift open between the Ligue 1 side and their Premier League counterparts. It’s unclear if it’s a move that could be resurrected in January, but what is evident is that the Blues will spend the coming months hunting for a long-term replacement for Enzo. Romeo Lavia will have the opportunity to audition for the spot in the short term, but while the young Belgian does have the long-term potential to become as strong as the Argentine, he faces the challenge of reaching that level quickly – all while his body has a history of letting him down. Meanwhile, Chelsea will be keeping an eye on the transfer market, with PSG’s Warren Zaire-Emery one of those who will surely be monitored. How long can PSG keep him happy? Zaire-Emery was PSG’s most-used player last season as they won Ligue 1 and the Champions League for a second successive season. And despite this, there is a feeling that he does not yet have a regular place in the thinking of Luis Enrique. Although the 20-year-old is an almost invariable starter for the Spaniard, his role in the side is chopped and changed on a weekly basis. He flits from central midfield to right-back, and has even been used as a left-back lately amid concerns over the form of summer signing Lucas Digne. Such is the ever-changing nature of Zaire-Emery’s position, there has been speculation in France suggesting that he could become unsettled due to this lack of stability, which has prevented him from becoming a fixture in the national squad. “I was very unfair to Warren as a coach. He deserved to play in that final,” Luis Enrique admitted after the Champions League final, in which he took the decision to drop Zaire-Emery. L’Equipe denies that the player is becoming disgruntled with his status as a ‘Swiss-army knife’, quoting a member of his entourage saying: “Warren loves Paris too much to think about leaving.” But the anonymous source also said when asked if the Parisian could leave: “No, not for the moment.” The door is shut, but only for now. It’s an uncomfortable position for PSG to be in, particularly with Zaire-Emery having a ceiling in excess of any other player on their books, according to data analytics firm SciSports. PSG's five players with most potential (SciSport) RankNamePotential SciSkill1Warren Zaire-Emery145.82Desire Doue135.73Senny Mayulu127.54Joao Neves126.85Lucas Beraldo122.8 Chelsea can offer Zaire-Emery stability – but watch out for Liverpool Chelsea would be a smart choice if Zaire-Emery were to move on, with the Stamford Bridge outfit rated as one of his best destinations by SciSports’ Career Advice tool, which calculates the best transfer for players based on numerous different metrics. The Blues receive a Club Fit score of 79, scoring well in terms of game time, style and formation to more than make up for a shortfall in terms of his development. Indeed, the Blues are just one of four clubs reckoned to be a better destination for Zaire-Emery than PSG. Competition would come from Manchester City – who do not expect to be in the market for another midfielder after signing three this summer for more than €100m each – as well as Juventus and Liverpool. The Reds would naturally offer the greatest competition, particularly in the wake of signing Bradley Barcola from the Parisians this summer. But Zaire-Emery’s situation is something that Chelsea should be monitoring. It’s clear that he’s content at PSG for now, but if he keeps being toyed with, that could change. If the Blues can find a way to offer him stability, that could tempt him to the Premier League – and selling him the opportunity to be Enzo Fernandez’s replacement could be just the way to do it.