CHELSEA are plotting a cut price move for Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi, with the Argentine available on a FREE transfer next summer.
Blues chiefs have identified the commanding centre half as the ideal experienced head to bolster their youthful backline, according to reports in Spain.
Senesi, 28, has been a colossus for the Cherries this term and his current deal at the Vitality Stadium is winding down.
That’s put the Stamford Bridge hierarchy on red alert as they look to pull off a savvy piece of business, a far cry from the mega money splurges of recent windows.
It’s no secret Chelsea have struggled for consistency at the back this campaign.
Yeah, there’s been flashes, that rearguard action against Barcelona had fans purring, and they largely kept Bukayo Saka quiet in the first leg against Arsenal.
But overall? Too patchy. Too unreliable.
The Blues tried to address things in January, getting gazumped by Liverpool for Rennes star Jeremy Jacquet at the last minute.
They did recall Mamadou Sarr from Strasbourg early, and the Senegalese kid looked the part on his FA Cup debut against Hull, assured, composed, like he’d been there for years.
But gaffer Liam Rosenior wants more. He needs more.
And according to Spanish outlet Fichajes, sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart are already cooking up a “strategic plan” to land Senesi.
The 6ft 4in ace would bring something Chelsea currently lack, proper Premier League nous.
With over 100 top flight appearances under his belt, he’s been there, done that, and got the bruises to prove it.
The stats make impressive reading too.
Among Europe’s top five leagues, only Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni (93) and Juventus’ Pierre Kalulu (77) have played more passes into the opposition box than Senesi’s 77.
That’s some going for a centre half.
His 77.3 per cent pass completion and 123 long balls launched suggest he’s tailor made for Rosenior’s possession heavy philosophy.
But he can do the dirty stuff too.
This season alone, the Argentine brute has won 120 ground duels, 54 aerial battles and made a whopping 183 clearances.
Transfermarkt value him at around £19m but Chelsea won’t have to pay a penny if they land him on a free.
There’s just one problem, they ain’t the only ones sniffing around.
Fichajes claim Everton, Crystal Palace and Brighton are all keeping tabs on the situation.
And abroad? Yeah, Barcelona and Juventus are lurking too.
Chelsea will need to move sharpish if they want to get this one over the line.
For a club that’s spent like a drunken sailor in recent windows, bagging someone of Senesi’s quality for nothing would represent a serious shift in direction.
And after years of chucking cash at problems, that might be exactly what the doctor ordered.
