€70m number 6 is a perfect player for Chelsea’s squad – but transfer looks impossible | OneFootball

Despite historic levels of spending, Chelsea still find their team full of holes. There’s no elite goalkeeper, no elite centre back, no reliable backup striker, no reserve left back, and very little cover in midfield in terms of number 6 and number 8.

While numerous players have been bought and sent on loan, we’re still seeing players like Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall used in a double pivot, and we’re seeing Moises Caicedo run into the ground.

No wonder, then, that the Blues are being linked to a rising star from Spain who would be a perfect player to come and share minutes with Caicedo and with Enzo Fernandez. Pablo Barrios is gradually establishing himself as a regular for Atletico Madrid, and has attracted the attention of our sporting directors.

The price being quoted for the 21 year old is €70m, which is huge but also not that surprising. He’s become a regular in a team chasing a La Liga title, and it will take some persuading for them to let him go. Barrios has just made his first senior Spain cap, and is a first team regular for Diego Simeone’s team now.

Barrios will be tough to tempt to the Premier League.

Pablo Barrios in action for Atletico Madrid (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

In fact, forget persuading Atletico – how does one persuade Barrios? In Madrid he’s playing in his home city, at the club where he’s come through the ranks. He’s competing for titles and could become a club legend.

How do we persuade him to give up that to scrap for the top 6 in the Premier League? Because of our newly established wage structure, we can’t even make him a huge salary which he can’t turn down as we might have done in the old days.

To us, this one sounds like wishful thinking more than anything – we’d love to be proved wrong.