Chelsea back out of signing midfielder following concerns about his injury

Chelsea reportedly backed out of signing Tyler Adams due to concerns over his hamstring injury.

According to the Daily Mail (h/t Metro), the Blues triggered Adams' £20 million release clause at Leeds United. But they abruptly backed out of the deal, leaving many to speculate about the reason behind their decision.

Adams has been sidelined with a hamstring injury which he suffered in March and is expected to return to action in September. Since his £19 million move to Elland Road last summer, he has made 24 Premier League appearances.

But Adams is expected to leave the Whites after their relegation to the Championship. Chelsea, meanwhile, are reportedly focused on signing Moises Caicedo after agreeing on a £115 million fee with Brighton & Hove Albion.

They have also submitted a £55 million bid for Liverpool target Romeo Lavia, which is £5 million more than what Southampton wanted for him. They seem to be desperate to reinforce their midfield before the end of the month.

Mateo Kovacic, N'Golo Kante, Mason Mount and Ruben Loftus-Cheek's exits have left Mauricio Pochettino with a depleted midfield devoid of experience.

Mauricio Pochettino has made it clear he wants more midfielders at Chelsea

Mauricio Pochettino currently only has Enzo Fernandez and Conor Gallagher as his experienced first-team options in midfield.

Andrey Santos, Lesley Ugochukwu and Carney Chukwuemeka (all 19) are yet to stamp their authority as first-team regulars. They will be hoping to make this their breakout season in Europe but for now, Pochettino would require experience.

The Argentine manager will hope to have Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo in his team before the transfer window closes. On top of that, Chelsea have been linked with a move for Crystal Palace's talented playmaker Michael Olise (h/t the Guardian).

Ahead of the season opener against Liverpool later today (August 13) at Stamford Bridge, the former Tottenham Hotspur boss was asked where his team need to strengthen. He said, via Football.London:

"I think it is obvious, no? It's obvious when you look at the squad and compare to last season, too many midfielders leave the squad and we have different options. We are working hard to try to see, but always being very respectful with all of the names that are there and the clubs."

It remains to be seen who Pochettino plays in his midfield against Liverpool. Fernandez and Gallagher seem likeliest to start, but the manager will have a decision to make regarding the third midfielder.

Santos and Chukwuemeka both enjoyed considerable minutes during Chelsea's pre-season this summer.