Chelsea line up £20 million move for LaLiga star as they hunt for Thiago Silva replacement - Reports

Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing Athletic Bilbao defender Aitor Paredes as a potential replacement for Thiago Silva.

Silva's contract with the west London side expires in the summer and he has been linked with a move to his former club Fluminese (via The Sun). Moreover, Trevoh Chalobah has also attracted interest from Bayern Munich for a potential January transfer.

Hence, Chelsea are on the lookout for a defender and have registered interest in Paredes. The Spanish defender came through Athletic Club's academy and has made 36 senior appearances for them. He has been excellent this season as well in his 19 La Liga appearances, helping his side to fourth place in the standings.

As per The Sun, Paredes could be available for around £20 million, with his contract expiring in 2025. He is also on the radar of Real Madrid and Inter Milan.

Chelsea have sent scouts to see Paredes in action multiple times this season, including Athletic's 2-0 win away at Sevilla on Wednesday, January 3. The defender scored his side's second goal.

The Blues, meanwhile, have struggled this season in defense with Wesley Fofana and Chalobah missing due to injuries. Benoit Badiashile has also had to deal with injury issues and has made just eight appearances across competitions this season.

---

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino on Christopher Nkunku and Armando Broja in Nicolas Jackson's absence

Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson has joined Senegal for the Africa Cup of Nations and could miss club football until February 12. In his absence, the Blues have Armando Broja as their main striker with Christopher Nkunku as another option.

Ahead of their FA Cup third-round clash against Preston North End on Saturday (January 6), Mauricio Pochettino opened up about his options. He confirmed that Nkunku won't be able to start due to an injury issue, saying (via Chelseafc.com):

"It is a possibility for Armando to play. Christoph is not going to start because he suffered an issue during the week. He’s going to be in the squad but he’s not going to start. We need to be careful with him because he is starting to compete after six months out."

He added:

"Armando is going to have the possibility to be maybe more involved because he is one of our main strikers and it is a good opportunity for him to perform and be relaxed. We really trust in him, he has amazing potential and quality. Now he needs to forget his injury for the last year and start to behave normally."

Broja has scored just one goal and provided one assist in 14 games across competitions this season. Nkunku, meanwhile, who recently made his Chelsea debut since arriving from RB Leipzig in the summer, has scored once in four games.