Chelsea are now set to enter talks to sign a new midfielder, who Enzo Maresca believes would be a perfect fit in his system.

Blues looking to sign another midfielder

There is arguably a case to be made for Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo being the best midfield duo in the Premier League, with Reece James describing them as “phenomenal” and “up there with the best midfielders in the world” back in July.

While the Blues weren’t at the races at Old Trafford on Saturday, losing 2-1 against Manchester United after Robert Sanchez saw red in the fifth minute, Caicedo and Fernandez certainly didn’t let them down, with the former making five tackles, the highest number of any player.

As such, there is arguably little reason to spend big on another top midfielder, and the Blues have now identified a potentially cost-effective transfer target in the middle of the park, with Maresca personally a fan.

That is according to a report from Spain, which states Chelsea now plan to open talks over a deal for Mikel Jauregizar, in order to assess whether the Athletic Bilbao star would be willing to make a move to the Premier League.

At 21-years-old, the signing of Jauregizar would fit the model of signing young players, and the report makes it clear he would be a more affordable option than the likes of Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, who have previously been linked.

Maresca believes the Spaniard’s playing style would be ideal for his system, with the youngster’s vision, ball recovery and long-passing ability named as some of his key strengths.

"Baller" Jauregizar could excel at Stamford Bridge

The central midfielder is held in very high regard by scout Ben Mattinson, who once described him as an “underrated baller”, and there are signs he could be a success at Stamford Bridge, having impressed for Athletic Bilbao.

One of the maestro’s key strengths is his ability to win back possession, placing in the 90th percentile for tackles per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers, which suggests he could be a fantastic rotation option for Caicedo and Fernandez.

The starlet also has a keen eye for goal, as displayed at Old Trafford last season, finding the back of the net with a fantastic strike from distance in the Europa League.

The Blues are already well-stocked in the engine room, but given that Romeo Lavia can’t seem to put his injury problems behind him, it could make sense to bring in another option, and Jauregizar is showing promising signs at Athletic Bilbao.

That said, fans will be hoping the young Spaniard joining isn’t a sign Fernandez is on the move, with it recently being revealed Chelsea are willing to sell the midfielder on three conditions…