Latest developments
- Chelsea are interested in signing Ruben Dias from Manchester City.
- City are reluctant to sell the centre-back.
- But Dias' exit could make way for new arrivals.
Whisper+ analysis
Authenticity (2/5): Nothing concrete yet
Man City are open to the possibility of selling Ruben Dias either in January or the summer, with Chelsea the team first in the queue to sign the Portuguese.
This story was an exclusive on teamtalk.com; the transfer site has given away little in terms of their source, but claim City may be forced to let go of one of their most consistent players.
Value (2.5/5): City will have high demands
Arriving for £62 million in 2020, Dias has become a stalwart at the Etihad and an ever-dependable player for the Cityzens amid a difficult campaign.
No price has been set, but given his market value is £66 million, City will be expecting to make a decent profit on a player under contract until 2027.
Suitability (5/5): Premier League legend material
After four full Premier League seasons, Dias has four Premier League winner's medals and will soon reach 200 appearances in the sky blue shirt.
Clearly, he can do a job for any Premier League side, especially one that operates a back four and is coached by one of Pep Guardiola's disciples, Enzo Maresca.
Upgrade? (5/5): Quality over quantity
Chelsea's huge squad has been trimmed down under Maresca, but they still have plenty of options at centre-back, including Levi Colwill, Axel Disasi and Benoit Badiashile.
The Blues have Premier League standard players in central defence, but they lack an elite level centre-back, who can marshal their back line and make them formidable to play against. Dias has the potential to fill that role.
Logic (1.5/5): Little sense for City
City have been in the market to bring in a new centre-back, with Marc Guehi's name being mentioned lately. It would be a case of one step forward and one step back if they were to free up the funds for a defender by selling one of their best defenders.
With some players further up the pitch not contributing like they used to, City would be better off putting them up for sale to make this deal happen.
Whisper+ verdict: 16/25
It would make sense for any Premier League club to be interested in Dias, especially Chelsea, but City selling him when they have had so many defensive problems makes zero sense.
