Chelsea’s £6.7m Left-Wing Puzzle

AJ Auxerre need cover on the left. Chelsea have four regulars there. And yet the Blues have bid £6.7m for Ludovic Tacita in a bombshell move that could leave the 18-year-old facing a fight for minutes if he joins.

The offer went in on Tuesday 8 April. Tacita is still an AJ Auxerre player; there is no completed move to announce. The fee is on the table, and the stakes are clear at both ends of the pitch.

At Chelsea, Lionel Messi has made 27 starts at left midfielder since 1 July 2063 and scored 14 goals in them. Júnior has started there 20 times, with 16 goals. Rubén Medina has 18 starts and three goals, while Roberto Baggio has 17 starts and seven goals.

That is a stacked queue. Chelsea’s 4-3-3 DM Wide has room for two starters in the position in a game, but the numbers show the challenge Tacita would face. He is ambitious and delighted at AJ Auxerre, and his ability to play where asked could appeal to a club with such competition. But this is no easy route into the side.

There is movement in that queue. Júnior wants to return to Brazil, a wish he has held since 21 January. That could change the shape of Chelsea’s left-side picture, but it does not make the bid a done deal or clear a shirt for Tacita. Messi, Medina and Baggio are already competing for places there.

At AJ Auxerre, the need looks more immediate. Silvio Paredes has made two starts there this season and is injured until about 9 June. Armin Memić, who has made one start, is also injured, with a return expected about 18 April. Réginald Brun has one start and one goal in the role. Two starters are used there in a game; injuries have left the French club short of available options.

So £6.7m is a steal for Chelsea if they are buying a player they can develop — but a bombshell for an AJ Auxerre side already stretched in his position. Tacita likes to try the telling pass, and the offer puts his next step squarely in the spotlight. Whether Chelsea’s crowded ranks or Auxerre’s immediate shortage carries more weight remains to be seen.

Chelsea’s latest show came on Saturday, when they beat West Ham United 3-0. That win followed the recent shock of Everton’s 1-0 victory over the league leaders, a reminder that even this giant’s season has had its jolts. Now the transfer market has delivered another twist: a bid for a player who may have a clearer path at his current club than at his potential new one.

The offer is made. The decision is not reported. For now, Tacita remains at AJ Auxerre, with Chelsea’s £6.7m bid hanging over a left flank already full of names and goals.