Analysing Chelsea's centre-back conundrum: Has Rosenior found his new €60m star defender?

Suraj Radia

• 16 Feb 2026 00:53 CST
• 4 min read

Analysis

Chelsea could be set to revamp their defence in the summer, with three players set to be shown the exit and a host of top talent in line to replace them.

The Blues have regularly used the summer windows for a dramatic restructure of their squad and this year appears to be no different after the arrival of Liam Rosenior as the club’s new manager.

Chelsea are hopeful they can qualify for next season’s Champions League, which would give them the opportunity to invest heavily and target elite stars capable of taking the team to the next level.

However, the West London side will need to clear space in their squad to avoid another controversial ‘bomb squad’ of players relegated to the reserves and being a black hole on the club’s salary.

Consequently, Chelsea have already started to explore the possibility of selling a number of defenders, with TEAMtalk naming Benoit Badiashile, Tosin Adarabioyo and Trevoh Chalobah as three centre-backs that offers will be listened to for.

With all three players currently playing a significant role in Rosenior’s squad, any sales would need to be replaced and reports have already emerged of the prime candidates that could fill Chelsea’s new-look defence.

What do Chelsea’s current defensive options look like?

Should Badiashile, Adarabioyo and Chalobah all leave Stamford Bridge this summer, only Wesley Fofana and the soon-to-be-fit-again Levi Colwill would remain as the experienced senior centre-backs.

Mamadou Sarr could establish his first team credentials after being recalled from his loan at Strasbourg in January, while youngster Josh Acheampong will also be hoping for more minutes to prove himself to Rosenior either at centre-back or right-back.

While Axel Disasi has no future at Chelsea after his loan spell at West Ham ends, fellow loanee Aaron Anselmino is tipped for a bright future after joining Strasbourg following his stint at Dortmund in the first half of the campaign.

Fofana, Colwill, Sarr, Anselmino and Acheampong would represent strong depth in numbers at centre-back but Chelsea could loan a young defender out, while only Colwill is a natural left-footer.

Compared

Aarón Anselmino

D (C)

Strasbourg

Aarón Anselmino

D (C)

Strasbourg

VS

Mamadou Sarr

D (C)

Chelsea

Mamadou Sarr

D (C)

Chelsea

€11.4M	ETV	€27.4M
€10.2M - €12.5M	ETV Range	€24.7M - €30.1M
20 years old (29 Apr, 2005)	Age	20 years old (29 Aug, 2005)
Argentina	Nationality	France

Although Jorrel Hato is left-footed and capable of playing in the heart of the defence, his performances have been inconsistent and he is more likely to be used as a left-back instead.

It means that, despite recent links to players such as Bremer of Juventus and Barcelona’s Jules Kounde, a left-sided defender is a more likely target if only one big money defensive signing is made.

Have Chelsea identified their ideal left-footed centre-back?

The same report by TEAMtalk suggests that Nottingham Forest defender Murillo is a player that Chelsea and Liverpool have ‘done more groundwork on than any other clubs’ and that interest from the Blues remains ‘firm’.

Murillo is likely to seek a big money move this summer, particularly if Forest are relegated, having impressed during his three years in England so far.

Chelsea had considered a move for Murillo last summer and they are expected to revive their interest again this summer, with Forest set to demand around €60 million for their star defender.

As a 23-year-old with a good combination of Premier League experience and room to develop even further, Murillo may end up being the perfect signing for Chelsea to upgrade their defence at a reasonable price point.

They will, of course, have to resolve the future of their deadwood first and also convince the Brazilian that Chelsea is the right team for him over other sides such as Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United but Murillo may end up being the Blues’ marquee defensive signing of the new Rosenior era.