Mauricio Pochettino will be disappointed with how his Chelsea side has been so underwhelming in his debut campaign.
The Blues are currently tenth in the Premier League after 17 matches, losing seven times already this season. Despite their 2-0 win over Sheffield United yesterday, Chelsea are still two points behind West Ham in ninth who have played one less game.
The Argentine may want to bolster his squad in January in an attempt to improve their results and potentially challenge for a European spot.
Chelsea transfers latest – Max Kilman
According to a recent report from Simon Phillips on his Substack earlier this month, Pochettino is eyeing a move for Max Kilman of Wolves to strengthen his defensive department.
The centre-back had plenty of clubs interested in him in the summer, including Napoli, who were quoted a £35m price tag by Wolves to acquire his services.
However, with the 26-year-old titan being such an integral part of the Wolves squad, it is difficult to see a move occur this January.
Max Kilman’s style of play
With Pochettino recently mentioning that he wants to add more height to his side, it is no wonder reports regarding Kilman have begun to arise. The Wolves defender stands at 6 foot 4 and would seemingly tick off the boss’ request.
The left-footed defender has played every minute for Gary O’Neil’s side this season, helping his team to 13th in the Premier League, just three points off Chelsea. However, the Englishman has only kept two clean sheets in a leaky Wolves backline.
Kilman is a tall, physical centre-back who can comfortably play in a back-three or a back-four. The 26-year-old ace is tidy with both feet and possesses on-the-ball quality in the form of passing and dribbling, which most likely stems from his days as a professional England futsal player.
According to FBref, Kilman has a very similar player profile to ex-Chelsea player Marc Guehi, who left the club in 2021 after being at the Blues since the age of seven.
The Crystal Palace star is linked with numerous clubs, including the Blues and Manchester United, and this is how he has compares statistically to Kilman this season…
Passes completed
50.81
52.72
Progressive passes
3.44
2.50
Tackles
1.25
1.25
Interceptions
1.06
0.88
Clearances
4.50
4.69
These statistics show that both players are able to progress the play with the ball at their feet to go along with their multiple defensive interventions per 90.
Another similarity between the two defenders is that they both display excellent leadership qualities that would massively help the young Chelsea side. Kilman has captained Wolves this season, and he would become Chelsea’s second-oldest defender in the squad behind Thiago Silva at just 26.
The Wolves star is also blessed with versatility, which allows Pochettino to be tactically flexible both pre-game and during the match. Another underrated attribute is Kilman’s impressive injury record – with only six games missed in his career – which makes him a reliable option. This could be vital with the Blues experiencing an injury crisis.
Although Chelsea signing Kilman does make sense and he is a “monster” – as per presenter Tom Parker – of a centre-back, if the likes of Benoit Badisahile, Levi Colwill, and Axel Disasi can remain fit, it is difficult to see him getting enough gametime or replacing any of the above, even more so when the full-backs return from injury.
However, depth is needed, particularly with injuries coming thick and fast at Chelsea at the moment, and they could land their next Guehi in a swoop for Kilman to bolster their options.