A potential move to Real Madrid appeared to be on the cards for Enzo Fern\u00e1ndez this summer. He had openly flirted with the idea of joining the club. However, Los Blancos released an official statement dismissing links with the Chelsea player. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Fernandez will likely have to eat humble pie and stay at Chelsea unless he can get a transfer elsewhere this summer. Xabi Alonso has now started his role as the new manager at Stamford Bridge and here are his midfield options ranked. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Every Chelsea midfielder ranked from worst to best <\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n
6. Dario Essugo <\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
Many Chelsea fans would have forgotten about Dario Essugo as he missed almost the entirety of last season due to surgery and injury. He arrived at the club last summer ahead of their victorious Club World Cup campaign. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
However, Essugo has gone on to make just eight appearances in total for Chelsea. This includes just three appearances in the Premier League. The defensive midfielder is only 21, so there is still time for him to develop. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
5. Romeo Lavia <\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
Romeo Lavia cost Chelsea an astonishing \u00a358 million. However, he has been used sparingly by the Blues since he joined from Southampton. Injuries have not helped, but Lavia is also always going to be Moises Caicedo’s understudy in defensive midfield. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
4. Andrey Santos <\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
Andrey Santos is not to be a Chelsea player for much longer after the club agreed to sell him to Manchester United. Santos joined the Blues from Vasco da Gama in 2023, but he has not settled at Stamford Bridge. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Brazilian was loaned back to Vasco, then to Nottingham Forest and to Strasbourg on two occasions. He is another holding midfielder who will have limited game time, so it is good for Chelsea to cash in on him. This is especially so as the deal agreed with United is for \u00a350 million. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
3, Enzo Fernandez <\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
Fernandez is now a very controversial figure at Stamford Bridge. He is clearly unhappy at the club, but his options could be limited this summer. His old boss Enzo Maresca could take him to Manchester City. However, this is unlikely as they have now signed Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Arsenal appear to be more interested in signing Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United. Whilst Barcelona may not have the finances to sign Fernandez. There is no doubt that Fernandez is a quality player, as he just showed when scoring the winner for Argentina against Egypt. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Perhaps Alonso could help resettle the disillusioned player back in the Chelsea lineup. However, Alonso will be wary of big egos after failing to deal with them cost him his job at Real Madrid. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
2. Cole Palmer <\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
Cole Palmer has been a talisman for Chelsea since he joined from Manchester City. He has been key to Chelsea’s Club World Cup and Europa Conference League wins. However, last season was not his best, which cost him a place in the England squad for the World Cup. Alonso will need to pick himself up from this disappointment. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
1. Moises Caicedo <\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
Caicedo is regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in the game. Chelsea used to have Claude Makelele, who had the position named after him. Now even Makelele would call the position the Caicedo role. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Alonso will need to build his team around Caicedo if he is to have success at Stamford Bridge. Caicedo captained Chelsea on occasion last season and is now Ecuador’s captain. His country suffered disappointment at the World Cup as they lost to the co-hosts, Mexico, in the round of 32. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Defensive midfielders used to not get the recognition they deserved. However, Caicedo is one of the stars of the Premier League in the role. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/assets.minutemediacdn.com\/platform\/google_discover_icon.svg\"){kind=icon}
Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/span><\/span><\/div>\nFollow<\/span>