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Chelsea to outspend Barcelona for highly-regarded free agent
News
Chelsea are set to beat Barcelona to the signature of a highly-regarded free agent this summer, according to Sport Witness.
Bournemouth centre-back Marcos Senesi’s contract expires after the season, and a handful of big clubs are after the 28-year-old’s services.
The report states that Chelsea will beat Barcelona, Brighton, Borussia Dortmund, Crystal Palace, Everton, and Juventus to sign the Argentine.
Current ETV
Marcos Senesi
D (C)
B'mouth
Marcos Senesi
D (C)
B'mouth
ETV Range
€16.5M - €20.1M
His dream destination is said to be Barcelona, but Chelsea are reportedly offering larger wages.
Bournemouth sit comfortably in mid-table in the Premier League, and Senesi’s performances have played a big role in the club staying clear of the relegation battle after selling its two starting centre-backs from last season, Dean Huijsen and Ilya Zabarnyi, in the summer transfer window.
Chelsea to finally add centre-back depth
One of the reasons for Enzo Maresca’s departure from Chelsea’s managerial role was his anger at the lack of depth at centre-back. The club did not replace left-sided central defender Levi Colwill after his season-ending knee injury in preseason.
Now, it looks like the club is prepared to add to its ranks at that position with the free signing of Senesi this summer.
Chelsea’s other left-footed centre-back, Benoit Badiashile, has missed 20 matches due to various muscle injuries. Jorrel Hato is viewed as a left-back rather than a left-sided centre-back.
Right-footed Trevoh Chalobah has often played on the left side. Tosin Adarabioyo is dealing with a hamstring injury, and his absence has led Liam Rosenior to rely on 19-year-old Josh Acheampong.
Meanwhile, Wesley Fofana has played the largest number of matches in a single season so far since joining Chelsea in 2022 with 24, but he is not viewed as one of the first names on the teamsheet as he has come off the bench in five of his 15 league appearances.
Senesi’s bounce-back year comes at the right time
Senesi suffered a Hamstring injury that kept him out of action from late November until late March of last season, but his club did not look back, continuing to rely on Huijsen after the Argentine returned.
The 28-year-old started 12 matches in all competitions before his injury, but he made just three starts after returning.
He reportedly rejected contract offers from Bournemouth earlier this season, according to the BBC, as he aims to explore his options as a free agent.
Senesi’s Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) dropped from its August 2024 peak of €20m to €17.6m in October 2025, but it is now up to €18.3m as of the early February update.
Not only has he played his way back into Bournemouth’s first team, but he has recovered from last season’s disappointment to such a degree that he has the option to play Champions League football next season.
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