Who should Chelsea sign to ease the burden on Caicedo & Fernandez?

The Telegraph revealed today that Chelsea will sign a midfielder this summer, with the Blues keen on easing the burden on Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has overused the ever-present pair due to the lack of suitable midfield options, and the transfer hierarchy wants to act.

The West Londoners want to sign a midfielder who can step in to fill the void, most likely in both central midfield positions.

However, it is worth noting that the Blues currently have natural holding midfielders, such as Andrey Santos, Dario Essugo, and Romeo Lavia, ready to deputise for Caicedo.

What the club doesn’t have is a player who can adeptly cover for Fernandez in the more advanced midfield role.

They do not have a player with Fernandez’s non-stop engine, capable of interpreting Maresca’s tactics like the Argentine maestro.

He has his off days, but he is one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the world and a vital cog in Chelsea’s engine room.

Chelsea have been linked with moves for Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace) and Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United). The pair remain on the club’s radar.

Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest) could also enter the picture, as he is one of the finest midfield talents around and on the market this summer.

Each player has their merit. Wharton is an elegant playmaker who can unlock defences with his supreme technical quality.

He might struggle defensively, but his otherworldly blend of control and progressive passing makes him worth the shot.

Chelsea will likely face serious competition for his signature.

Before being shifted out of the first-team picture at United, Mainoo looked like a terrific prospect. His ability to connect midfield to attack is impressive.

He will be on the market this summer after struggling for game time, and Maresca could use his talents in Fernandez’s absence.

Anderson is a complete all-rounder who can easily slot in for both Fernandez and Caicedo. He can dictate the tempo and take a game by the scruff of its neck.

Again, Chelsea will face competition for his signature, and Forest are ready to demand north of £100 million.

Ultimately, Anderson feels like the most Chelsea-ready option of the three.

Wharton’s technical quality is undeniable, but his injury record and defensive vulnerabilities make him a risky solution for a side already exposed in transition.

As refined as Wharton is on the ball, his profile does not fully address the problem Chelsea are trying to solve.

It is worth noting that Mainoo is the player Chelsea are more likely to pursue regardless.

He is younger, likely cheaper than Anderson or Wharton, and possesses the ball-carrying ability Maresca values so highly in advanced midfield areas.

If available, he makes sense as a long-term investment and a rotational option behind Fernandez.

But if Chelsea want to compete for top honours, Anderson offers genuine two-way security.

He can deputise for both Fernandez and Caicedo without forcing Maresca into tactical compromises.

Anderson is comfortable driving through pressure, breaking lines with carries and passes, and sustaining the intensity Chelsea’s system demands over 90 minutes.

He understands when to sit, when to surge forward, and when to take responsibility in possession, traits that mirror what makes Fernandez so indispensable.

Anderson stands out as the most complete, plug-and-play solution.