Chelsea head to Sunderland on Sunday looking to carry some momentum into the international break.
Chelsea chase another win at Sunderland
Last weekend’s 2-0 win over Man United lifted the mood at Stamford Bridge, and Xabi Alonso now has an opportunity to follow it up against the Premier League‘s bottom club.
The Blues arrive fourth, while Sunderland have won only once in nine league matches.
Their latest setback came on Thursday, when Dinamo Zagreb beat them 2–0 in the Europa League. Chelsea have had a full week to prepare, giving Alonso more time with his players before today’s kick-off at the Stadium of Light.
There is a warning in last season’s results, though. Sunderland beat Chelsea 2-1 in both league meetings, so the visitors know this fixture can bite.
Alonso also has decisions to make over Moisés Caicedo and Emiliano Martínez, with the latter resuming training following jaw surgery, but his availability remains uncertain.
Jorrel Hato, Maxence Lacroix and Joao Pedro are unavailable, leaving Chelsea short of several options.
Another victory would strengthen their position near the top, but keeping their defensive players fit and available will matter as the schedule picks up again.
Meanwhile, La Liga giants Barcelona are taking a keen interest in one of Chelsea’s key men.
Barcelona discuss January bid for Levi Colwill
Barcelona are weighing up a January move for Levi Colwill, according to an insider quoted by Mark Brus in the Daily Briefing.
The source claimed the Spanish club have put considerable work into assessing the Chelsea defender before discussing their next step.
“Barcelona view Colwill as a top target after studying his performances and stats in great detail,” the source told Brus.
“There have been internal discussions about putting a bid together, possibly as early as this January.”
The timing is far from settled, as Brus also heard from other sources who were less convinced that an offer would arrive soon.
Chelsea, meanwhile, want Colwill to stay and are looking towards contract discussions in the New Year. His existing deal runs until 2029, giving them time to handle the situation.
Liverpool are also reportedly very interested in the Englishman, adding another club for Chelsea to keep an eye on.
Intermediaries have mentioned a figure between £65m and £75m which could make Chelsea consider their options, and that remains a reported estimate of what might tempt them, with retaining Colwill still their preferred outcome.
Chelsea must weigh up the cost of losing Colwill
January would be an awkward time for Chelsea to lose a defender they already know and trust, not to mention one who Alonso has entrusted with the starting nod week in, week out.
Hato and Lacroix are currently sidelined, which underlines how quickly the options can shrink, and any decision on Colwill would need to account for the difficulty of finding a replacement in January.
A large offer could be attractive financially, but replacing him would still require money, negotiations and time for somebody to adjust to life at Chelsea.
The Blues would also be surrendering a high-level player developed in their own academy, with years of familiarity behind him, and that has value when a manager is trying to build a settled team.
The contract length should help Chelsea keep control of the conversation, but Colwill’s own intentions will be important, as interest from Barcelona may well be tempting, as it would for any player.
