Chelsea are all set for a busy summer transfer window with a number of incomings and outgoings certain to take place at Stamford Bridge.
One area in particular the Blues are looking to strengthen is at the heart of their defence with a growing need for a new defensive leader.
Enzo Maresca has been linked with a number of options to bolster his backline but the Blues have already lost out to Real Madrid in the race to sign Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth.
Maresca will now explore other names on his shortlist ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup in June.
As per an update from SportZone, Chelsea are ready to continue their current policy of bringing in highly-rated young players from the continent, and PSG’s Axel Tape is in Maresca’s sights.
Chelsea will not have a free run at the teenager, with Tottenham and Bournemouth, also in the race to sign the 17-year-old defender, who is set to leave Paris as a free agent this summer.
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Bayer Leverkusen are also in the mix, but sources close to PSG have indicated his preference is for a move to the Premier League, and Chelsea may need to move quickly in the negotiations.
Is Axel Tape the answer to Chelsea’s defensive question?
At just 17, Tape is very much at the beginning of his football journey, and far from the finished product.
Chelsea currently have one of the youngest squads in the EPL, and they are crying out for some experienced leaders, especially in defence, that can lead this young team.
With that in mind, Tape may not be the player Chelsea need at the moment, due to his lack of battle-hardened experience at the highest level.
Rather than investing in yet another youngster, Maresca may switch tack and look for an older player, as Blues fans reminisce over the transformative impact Thiago Silva had on their defence in years gone by.
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