Chelsea make the first move to sign the “genius” star that is Felix 2.0

Chelsea they were one of the more free-flowing, attacking teams in the Premier League this season, scoring 38 goals in the first 19 matches and fourth in the table with 35 points.

However, over the past few weeks Enzo Maresca’s side have struggled to break down teams in the low block, with a 0-0 draw against Everton, a 2-1 defeat against Fulham and a 2-0 defeat against Ipswich.

The Italian has made fewer changes from the bench in these games, raising questions about his confidence in Chelsea’s bench rotation options, so the Blues could make a move in the January window to add a game-changing replacement to their ranks.

Chelsea are eyeing the Barcelona star

According to reporting from SpainChelsea are among the clubs showing interest in Barcelona’s attacking midfielder, Dani Olmoin which Tottenham, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal were also interested.

Reports suggest that Chelsea and Tottenham have recently inquired about the 26-year-old star, s Fabrizio Romano also confirms La Liga rejected Barcelona’s appeal to register Olmo in their squad. This question is what could make a deal for Olm more feasible for all interested parties and cause a lot of competition for his signature.

Olmo has made 15 appearances in all competitions this seasonscoring six goals, one assist and playing a total of 813 minutes.

Comparison of João Félix and Dani Olmo

One man Chelsea signed from Athletico Madrid this summer who fits the same description as a creative striker who can make a difference is João Félix, who joined last summer from a fee of around £45 million.

Like Olmo, Felix is ​​another who spent some time in Barcelona (on loan) scoring ten goals and six assists in 44 games for the club.

Felix and Olmo are similar in the sense that they do their best playing behind the attackers, getting into pockets of space to receive the ball. However, both have been used as wide players, dropping in when the full-back provides width, becoming a secondary number ten instead.

When comparing them, Felix actually outperforms Olmo in most metrics this season, but many of these numbers will be inflated due to the number of minutes the Portuguese has played in the UEFA Conference League, against what many would consider “inferior” opposition.

Olmo continued to show his scoring ability, scoring slightly more than Felix and providing the same assists per 90 (0.19). Both players have strong creative underlying numbers, providing more than six progressive passes per 90, more than 1.5 key passes per 90 and more than two successful takeovers per 90.

Olmo could provide Maresca with another “genius” option from the bench, as described by reporter Josh Bunting at X for his performances at EURO 2024. Another creative option like the Spaniard could offer another way of unlocking compact low defences, something the Blues continue to struggle with.