Alex Telles to Chelsea this summer? Frank Sinclair explains why transfer is a risk

Tom Doyle5 April 2020

Signing Alex Telles would be a gamble for Chelsea given just how difficult the Premier League has become, according to Frank Sinclair.

Telles, 27, has been heavily linked with Chelsea in recent weeks, with the attack-minded FC Porto full-back seen as a perfect fit on the left-hand side of Frank Lampard's team.

Lampard has had issues down the left flank this term, with neither Marcos Alonso nor Emerson Palmieri able to fully convince - and that has seen Cesar Azpilicueta deployed there on occasion, with Reece James at right full-back.

While the prospect of signing a player like Telles has excited Chelsea fans, former Blue Sinclair suggests it would be less of a risk to target a Premier League-proven player rather than risk a big fee on a signing who could struggle to adapt.

Sinclair told GentingBet: "Alex Telles is a good player, I like what I’ve seen of him but whether he has the ability to adapt to the Premier League is a different question.

AFP via Getty Images

"There is no other league like the Premier League, purely due to the competition in every game, week in, week out – there is no easy games.

"That’s why I’d prefer to see Chelsea sign proven players that have played in the Premier League before.

"You look at Emerson for example, terrific player before coming to the Premier League but he hasn’t been able to lock down a position for Chelsea.

"It just shows how difficult it is to adapt and to acclimatise to the Premier League.

"You’d expect Telles to be able to handle the Premier League and do well but it’s certainly not something that I take for granted, that a player who is playing well abroad can just come in to the Premier League, hit the ground running and continue."

Ben Chilwell is certainly proven in the Premier League, and the Blues have been interested in the Leicester City left-back - but Sinclair suggests a recent dip in forrm should give Chelsea pause for thought.

Getty Images

SInclair said: "There have been rumours about Chelsea signing Ben Chilwell – if you had asked me six months ago, I would have said that he was the ideal left back for Chelsea but his form has dipped towards to the back end of the season, which has made me question him.

"You have to remember, it is a massive difference being a player at Leicester City and Chelsea. At Chelsea, you have the expectation of winning games every week, winning titles and European Cup Competitions."

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