Chelsea are in for a summer of hard work and one aspect that incoming manager Antonio Conte would have to really look into would be the transfers brought into the club. The Blues have not had the best of times in recent years and the defence has been a major problem.
The London club have just not been able to bring in quality replacements for John Terry and even though the Chelsea legend is staying at the club for one more season, they still need someone to step up once Terry, Gary Cahill and even Branislav Ivanovic do leave the Blues.
Matt Miazga was bought into the club this season but the Blues do seem to be lining up another move for a young defender. Emanuel Mammana is the central defender that seems to have caught the eyes of the Chelsea scouts and the 20-year-old star from River Plate could be set to move from one continent to another.
An Argentine rock turning into a jewel?
Mammana has already played once for the Argentine national team in 2014 when he came on for Javier Mascherano in a game against Slovenia. The 20-year-old can play on their side of the defence and can be used as a right back if there is a need as well, though his preferred position in the heart of the defence.
Mammana did spend some time as a midfielder when he was a young player and that has made him comfortable with the ball at his feet. He is great with the ball and can play out of defence which will certainly be a bonus for Antonio Conte if he does sign the player.
The 20-year-old Argentine also has this ability to sense danger and thus his positioning in the defence is exceptional which ensures that he does not rush into tackles. The River Plate star though is capable of making those last ditch tackles as well when needed. He also has great concentration and isn’t known for making too many mistakes with regards to reading the game.
There is one issue with his playing style and that is his overreliance or willingness to play the ball out from defence. He does get caught out of position at times when he tries to run with the ball and directly attacking him does cause a problem.
He isn’t the most physical player either and that is one region where he would need a lot of work if he is to succeed in the Premier League. Mammana has all the traits to be one of the best defenders in the world and under Antonio Conte, he could achieve just that in the Premier League in the coming years.