Chelsea have been advised to abandon their pursuit of Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly and instead target teammate Martin Zubimendi, according to former Blues defender Glen Johnson. The recommendation comes as the west London club reportedly weighs up moves for both Arsenal players this summer.
Lewis-Skelly Offered to Chelsea and Manchester United
Earlier this week, intermediaries reportedly offered Lewis-Skelly to Chelsea and Manchester United. Arsenal set an asking price of £45 million for the 19-year-old England international, who is said to be determined to stay and fight for his place at the Emirates Stadium. Competition for places has intensified following Mikel Arteta's decision to sign Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have also been linked with Zubimendi, who lost his starting spot to Lewis-Skelly at the backend of last season. The Spain international was a target for new Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso during his time at Real Madrid, before Zubimendi eventually joined Arsenal in a £50 million transfer from Real Sociedad.
Johnson Backs Zubimendi as Ideal Fit for Chelsea
With Chelsea shifting their transfer focus to experience over potential, Johnson believes Zubimendi would be a better fit. 'I think he would be a brilliant signing for Chelsea,' Johnson told SeatPin. 'I'm not sure why Arsenal are even signing players to replace him when he was so influential for them last season.'
'He has worked with Alonso before at Real Sociedad, so Xabi must really like the player to be pushing to re-sign him at Chelsea. He's now a Premier League winner, so he's only going to be a better player than what he was when they last worked together. I'd be surprised if Arsenal let him go to Chelsea, but if they do, more fool them. He was brilliant last season and knows what it takes to win in the Premier League, which is exactly what Chelsea need. He could be the backbone of Chelsea's midfield next season, and if Alonso wants him as badly as being reported, then the club should do everything they can to sign him.'
Alonso's Other Signings Praised
Alonso has sought to strengthen every department since his arrival, and Johnson is particularly hopeful about France international Maxence Lacroix, who signed from Crystal Palace. 'Maxence Lacroix is the best signing Chelsea have made this summer, and it's not close,' Johnson added. 'It was a really shrewd signing. They got him at a great price, and he has plenty of Premier League experience, so I think they got a really good deal on someone who could forge a brilliant partnership with Levi Colwill.'
Johnson also praised Marco Palestra, another new arrival, saying, 'Marco Palestra is also an exciting signing. He's a young player with bags of talent, he's clearly still learning, but given time could become a very influential player at Chelsea under Alonso.'
Chelsea have also made an approach to sign an £80 million Manchester United target following the Pep Chavarria transfer, while John Terry has made a claim about Xabi Alonso and praised a 'great' Chelsea transfer decision. Additionally, a £30 million star has been tipped for a Premier League move after transfer enquiries from Manchester United and Arsenal.
