Having been raided by Liverpool for prodigious academy talent Rio Ngumoha last year, various reports suggests that Chelsea could now be eyeing a semblance of transfer revenge on the Reds.
The list of players to have featured for both clubs is extensive – Fernando Torres, Joe Cole, Daniel Sturridge, Bolo Zenden and Raul Meireles are just some of the names with a foot in either camp – although direct first-team transfers between Anfield and Stamford Bridge have been conspicuous by their absence in recent years.
However, a couple of rumours which have done the rounds in recent days indicate that Todd Boehly fancies his chances of a double raid on the Premier League leaders.
Chelsea reportedly eyeing double raid on Liverpool
Colombian outlet Antena2 reported [via CaughtOffside] that Chelsea are considering an audacious move for Luis Diaz amid apparent concerns from the forward about the wages he’s earning at Liverpool, with the Blues purported to be planning on making him one of their highest-paid players.
That was followed by Graeme Bailey informing TBR Football that the west London outfit have a strong interest in Caoimhin Kelleher in a clear acknowledgement that they’re seeking to improve their goalkeeping options, with Robert Sanchez failing to convince.
What chance do Chelsea have of signing Kelleher and Diaz?
Whether or not Liverpool would want to do business with Chelsea is debatable – the duo mightn’t strictly be direct positional rivals at present, but a chequered history has formed between the two clubs since the turn of the century.
There’s a strong chance that Kelleher leaves Anfield in the summer, though, with the Irishman excelling in his 16 appearances this season (most of which came while Alisson Becker was injured in the autumn) but unable to dislodge the Reds’ number 1 on a regular basis.
At 26 years of age, and having proven his worth at Premier League and Champions League level, nobody could blame the Cork native for wanting to establish himself as a fixed first-choice elsewhere, and we suspect that there could be a lengthy queue of suitors willing to offer him that chance.
However, the likelihood of Chelsea luring Diaz from Liverpool this year seems remote. The Colombian has been enjoying a fine campaign under Arne Slot, with 12 goals in 32 games across all competitions, and the Reds would surely be extremely reluctant to let him leave for a domestic rival.
The 28-year-old’s contract at Anfield still has more than two years to run, so LFC have ample time to tie him down to an improved deal and avoid a repeat of the shambolic scenario which has left the futures of Mo Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk hanging precariously in the balance.
We can understand why the Stamford Bridge outfit would be keen on signing Kelleher and Diaz, but while they might have a plausible chance of nabbing the Irishman, we can’t envisage them getting their hands on our number 7 in the foreseeable future.
