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Anel Ahmedhodzic has emerged as a potential transfer target for Chelsea, following his performances for Swedish club Malmo.
The 21-year-old has been with the Allsvenskan side since 2019, and his displays at the heart of defence have seen several top clubs across Europe interested in his services.
Chelsea are among the sides reportedly interested in Ahmedhodzic. The player's father last year claimed that his son's agent was blocking Ahmedhodzic's move to Stamford Bridge, which has since been denied by the player.
In an interview with a Swedish newspaper Expressen, the Bosnia-Herzegovina international was quoted as saying:
“I have been ready now for Europe after my season in the Allsvenskan. But there is no disappointment. I read that there were a lot of rumours and stuff, I saw that. I let Mackan (Rosenberg) take care of everything, and focus on what I should focus on. Mackan takes care of everything, and when I have to take note of something, he tells me.”
Ahmedhodzic continued in this regard:
As a defender, joining a team in the middle of a season will be difficult. The coach almost never changes defence during a season; it gets harder. Logically, it is easier to get into a team during the summer. It is very possible that (a move in the summer) will be (the case).”
Malmo have reportedly placed a transfer fee of SEK 82.5m (€8.2m) on Ahmedhodzic. They want him to be the club's record sale, surpassing the SEK 82.2m they received for the sale of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
It is, however, unknown if Chelsea will follow through on their reported interest in the defender. In addition to the Blues, clubs like Atalanta and AC Milan have also been linked with Ahmedhodzic.
Chelsea adapting well to Thomas Tuchel
After the termination of Frank Lampard's contract at Chelsea, the arrival of his replacement, Thomas Tuchel, marked the start of a new era at Stamford Bridge.
The former Borussia Dortmund manager has hit the ground running with three wins in four games. Chelsea have kept three clean sheets during this period, are now in a strong position to guarantee a top-four finish.
However, there are still some issues to iron out, especially their lack of cutting-edge in attack; Chelsea's expensively-assembled summer signings Kai Havertz and Timo Werner have also not hit the ground running under their compatriot Thomas Tuchel.
