Chelsea has established a valuation for Trevoh Chalobah, prompting Manchester United to consider a bid for the defender in the upcoming transfer window.
The Red Devils are looking to strengthen their backline following a challenging season marked by injuries among their central defenders.
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Manager Erik ten Hag faced the absence of key players such as Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, and Harry Maguire during critical moments of the 2023-24 season, which saw Manchester United record their lowest position in the Premier League to date.
The team’s central defense has been further weakened by Varane’s exit after a three-year stint with the club.
Amidst the search for new defensive talent by Manchester United’s recent proprietors, reports from The Independent suggest that Chalobah is on the radar as a potential recruit.
The 24-year-old defender, who is also on Tottenham’s wishlist, has clocked in 80 appearances for his childhood team, Chelsea, since his top-flight debut in 2021.
Given his status as more of a backup player at Chelsea, the club is open to transferring Chalobah in compliance with financial regulations, with the expectation of receiving bids around the £25 million mark.
The new leadership at Manchester United attributes some of the club’s post-Ferguson era difficulties to suboptimal transfer decisions.
In March, Sir Jim Ratcliffe expressed his strategy to invest in emerging talents rather than established stars with hefty price tags, such as Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham, aiming to cultivate the next wave of football superstars.
‘What I would rather do, I would rather find the next Mbappe, rather than spend a fortune to just try and buy success,’ he said.
‘It’s not that clever, is it? Buying Mbappe. In a way. Anyone could figure that one out. But what is much more challenging is to find the next Mbappe or the next [Jude] Bellingham or the next Roy Keane.’
On a potential transfer move for Bellingham, Ratcliffe added: ‘He’s a great footballer [but] it’s not where our focus is.
‘The solution isn’t spending a lot of money on a couple of great players. They’ve done that, if you look at the last 10 years.
‘The first thing we need to do is get the right people in the right boxes, managing and organising the club.
‘We must make sure we get recruitment right, such a vital part of running a football club is getting recruitment right, finding new players.’
As well as working on signings, the Manchester United hierarchy are deciding whether to sack Ten Hag or give the Dutchman more time to turn things around.
Chelsea, meanwhile, who recently parted company with Mauricio Pochettino, are also said to be open to offers for Conor Gallagher, who captained the team regularly last campaign.
