Chelsea looked to have turned a sharp corner in recent weeks, with their improved performances bearing fruit in the 4-1 demolition of Burnley and the 2-2 draw against title challengers Arsenal.
The Blues were playing like a team that had cost £1bn to assemble and positivity was beginning to shimmer around Stamford Bridge, however, the 2-0 defeat at the hands of Brentford on Saturday saw their problems resurface at both ends of the field.
Mauricio Pochettino's side created an xG of 2.03 but only registered two shots on target, whereas, the Bees were punishingly clinical on the counter-attack, carving through the host's back line with relative ease.
The latter of the two issues has pointed towards bolstering their defence in January, perhaps replacing the veteran Thiago Silva with a youthful talent, and that has seen Lille's centre-back Leny Yoro pop onto their agenda.
Chelsea transfer news – Leny Yoro
Chelsea are plotting a move for Lille's 17-year-old centre-back Yoro, in a deal that could fix their defensive woes in the future.
With Wesley Fofana, Ben Chilwell and Trevoh Chalobah all currently sidelined, while Axel Disasi and Reece James are slowly returning from their respective setbacks, the winter window will provide an opportunity to bolster an area that is light on the ground.
According to 90min, Chelsea's scouts have been closely watching the youngster after he overtook Eden Hazard as Lille's second-youngest debutant towards the end of the 2021/22 campaign.
Yoro has made an incredible start to the season and the Blues have been throughly impressed with the teenager, having watched him feature nine times in Ligue 1 this term.
The Frenchman has established himself as one of the most in-demand young defenders in Europe which has led to Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund all tracking the youngster, while both Liverpool and Manchester United are aware of his progress but are yet to advance their interest.
Chelsea, however, have a proven strategy planned out to win the race for his signature, which involves loaning the player back to Lille as part of any deal with Yoro reportedly valued at €15m (£13m), as per Football Observatory.
A perfect Thiago Silva replacement
Thiago Silva is one of the greatest centre-backs in the modern era and although he's still performing at a high level for Chelsea, he could depart the club in June 2024 given his contract is expiring.
The 39-year-old, who has featured in every minute of Chelsea's Premier League matches so far, is still an invaluable member of the dressing room and leads by example on the pitch.
Despite putting in exceptional performances for his club, renewing the contract of a player who is approaching his 40th birthday wouldn't be a wise idea, and the Blues could utilise a strategy they've used previously by planning for the future.
The captures of Diego Moreira and Angelo Gabriel, in particular, indicate the club's thirst for acquiring talented youngsters, and Yoro should be the next player on that list.
The talented Frenchman has been showered with praise by many for how he's matured into a key player for Lille at the age of 17 and has already been likened to Raphael Varane by transfer journalist Graeme Bailey.
Speaking on the Talking Transfers Podcast, he said: "6ft 3, a majestic defender, likened to Varane when I’ve spoken to people abroad."
He's backed up the praise of being an exceptional ball-playing defender, ranking in the top 10% across Europe's top five leagues in the past year for pass completion and the top 17% for passes attempted, as per FBref.
While Silva ranks in the top 3% and top 7% for those stats respectively, Yoro outperforms the veteran across several defensive metrics, including tackles per 90 (1.48/1.37), interceptions (1.61/1.06) and tackles in the attacking third (0.13/0.07).
If the Brazilian does bid his farewell to Stamford Bridge in the summer, Chelsea should have his replacement lined up with this sensational wonderkid.
