Chelsea “actively in talks” over signing “very mature” England international

Chelsea are believed to be in discussions about signing the ‘very mature’ England international before 2026, which interestingly comes amid Romeo Lavia’s injury nightmare.

Lavia was sent off after just eight minutes during Chelsea’s 2-2 midweek draw with Azerbaijani minnows Karabakh in the Champions League, which could slap the Belgian with another lengthy lay-off.

Enzo Maresca did not provide a final update on the former Manchester City player’s condition in his pre-match press conference ahead of the clash with Wolves, but admitted the situation was “painful”.

Lavia popped a water bottle out of frustration after being taken off against Karabakh, and it’s hard to blame him.

Since joining Chelsea in a near-£60m deal over two years ago, Lavia has failed to complete a single 90 minutes, missing a total of 87 matches and being sidelined for 568 days.

Chelsea have been tipped to sign a new midfielder since Lavia has been sidelined once again, but journalist Graeme Bailey says it is something they have been thinking about for a long time as Maresca’s side look to bring in more competition for Enzo Fernandes and Moises Caicedo.

Dario Esogo will also be out for a “significant period” after undergoing surgery on his hip, with Maresca suggesting he could remain out until January.

In light of this, Chelsea are believed to be considering their options, and they appear to have a serious interest in Crystal Palace sensation Adam Wharton.

The 21-year-old’s excellent 23/24 season earned him a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the European Championship, but injuries have somewhat hampered his development since then, even if he is still considered one of the country’s brightest emerging talents in the engine room.

Chelsea are ‘in active talks’ with Crystal Palace over Adam Wharton

The Blues are expected to be in the running for Wharton next year, and journalist Aaron Ramiro now claims they have already gone a step further.

According to his information, Chelsea are “in active talks” with Palace over a deal for the former Blackburn Rovers star, and the Eagles are talking about the possibility of Trevo Chalupa returning to Selhurst Park as a weight in the negotiations.

The England international is extremely highly rated by his peers and Palace appear to have slapped a £100m price on his head to ward off suitors.

How Wharton plays this season will largely determine whether Chelsea are willing to approach that assessment, but former Palace team-mate Eberechi Eze is convinced he is ready for a bright future and is already “very mature” for his age.