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Three experienced centre-back options for ill-disciplined Chelsea to consider
Analysis
Chelsea have scoured the transfer market for young talent in the BlueCo era, but their tally of nine red cards in the Premier League shows the club needs some experience.
The centre-back spot next to Trevoh Chalobah has resembled a carousel this season after Levi Colwill suffered a season-ending injury in preseason. The lack of a signing to replace Colwill was a main reason for the row between the board and now former manager Enzo Maresca.
It is also likely that Chelsea can upgrade on Chalobah, or at least bring in some serious competition for his place. He was sent off in Chelsea’s loss to Brighton in September, but he has not been booked since late December.
Current ETV
Trevoh Chalobah
D (C)
Chelsea
Trevoh Chalobah
D (C)
Chelsea
ETV Range
€41.4M - €50.7M
Still, this Chelsea team needs a true leader at the back to keep the team in line, and the club’s interest in Liverpool-bound Jeremy Jacquet proved they are in the market for a centre-back.
Here are three experienced options for Chelsea to sign to improve their spine.
Nico Schlotterbeck
Borussia Dortmund stalwart Nico Schlotterbeck has become one of Europe’s most sought-after centre-backs this season.
Highly regarded since his days at Freiburg, Schlotterbeck is now one of the best long passers in Europe, a threat on set pieces, and wins most of his duels.
STATS
Nico Schlotterbeck
D (CL)
Dortmund
Nico Schlotterbeck
D (CL)
Dortmund
He has been sent off once this season, but it was for conduct on the bench during the final minutes of Dortmund’s loss to Atalanta in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League play-off round.
With four goals — three of which came on set pieces — the Germany international is a truly modern player in both open play and on dead balls. At 26 years old, he is entering his prime but has plenty of peak years ahead.
Jan Paul van Hecke
Brighton & Hove Albion centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke has been linked to moves away from his club in recent windows, and for good reason.
The Dutchman has played for managers Roberto de Zerbi and Fabian Hurzeler, who emphasize technical ability in their centre-backs. Defensively, he wins a higher share of his duels than Chalobah and is not afraid to step in front of a shot.
Van Hecke has three goals this season, two of which came from corners. He is not quite at Schlotterbeck’s elite level when it comes to long pass accuracy, but he ranks ninth in the Premier League with 4.1 accurate long balls per 90 minutes.
He has just one red card in his Premier League career, which came in second-half stoppage time via a second yellow card in an April 2025 game against Crystal Palace that saw three players sent off in total. At 25, he has plenty of experience paired with room to grow.
Kim Min-jae
Bayern Munich centre-back Kim Min-jae has been unable to lock down a place in the starting XI since his move from Napoli in 2023, in part due to persistent ankle and Achilles problems in 2024/25.
He helped the Neapolitan team to its first Scudetto since the days of Diego Maradona in 2022/23, which saw him earn the €42 million move to the German giants.
Current ETV
Min-jae Kim
D (C)
Bayern
Min-jae Kim
D (C)
Bayern
ETV Range
€34.1M - €41.7M
Chelsea have reportedly been tracking the player in recent weeks, according to Christian Falk. The South Korea international has not reached 1,000 Bundesliga minutes yet this season, but he wins over 60% of his duels both in the air and on the ground when he plays. Plus, he is a competent passer used to playing in teams that dominate possession, and Bayern allows less than one goal per 90 minutes with him on the pitch.
At 29, Kim would be the oldest player in Chelsea’s team. But considering the Blues’ lack of discipline and the fact that Kim has not gotten sent off since he began playing for Napoli, it could be a shrewd move for the club to make.
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