The genius £20m signing who can help lay Chelsea’s ongoing midfield headaches to rest

Being impressive in an impressive side is fairly easy. Not as easy as the lunatic content creators who claim that they could score ten goals a season in the Premier League if they played up top for Manchester City would have you believe, but relatively simple nonetheless. Being impressive in an unimpressive side, however, is a much taller ask.

When Tyler Adams arrived at Leeds United last summer, he was briefed with helping his new club to stay in the Premier League. He did not succeed. Regardless, the American, much like his plastic compatriot Buzz Lightyear, fell with style. So much style, in fact, that a Statesider with galactic ambitions, Todd Boehly, seems intent on signing him for Chelsea.

According to Sky Sports, the Blues have opened talks over a possible deal for Adams, and could look to trigger the £20 million release clause that is reportedly written into his contract at Elland Road. Or they might try to save a few quid and instead lure Leeds into a structured agreement. Either way, the interest appears to be genuine, and is part of a broader attempt to recruit two new midfielders before the transfer window closes.

Much has been made of the midfield exodus enacted at Chelsea in recent weeks, with N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mason Mount, and Kai Havertz having all left Stamford Bridge for pastures new and lucrative. More still has been made of the Blues’ fruitless efforts to plug the chasm opened up by those departures. Pursuits for the likes of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia are still seemingly ongoing to varying extents, and the general consensus is that bodies are not a luxury at this stage, but rather a necessity.

And that brings us to Adams - an affordable, attainable foundation on which more auspicious acquisitions can be settled. Think of him like the underlay to, say, Caicedo’s shag pile carpet.

Then again, the 24-year-old would offer plenty in his own right too. According to the statisticians at Whoscored, nobody in Leeds’ squad earned a higher average match rating than Adams last term. Admittedly, the bar wasn’t exactly stratospheric, but still.

And then there are the more tangible details. Of those players who started eight or more Premier League games last term, the American’s pass completion rate was the highest at Elland Road, and he was in the top four for key passes completed. By the same metric, he made the most tackles per 90 minutes, and was in the top three for successful interceptions as well. In short, he is a solid, dependable, and creative presence in an area of the field where Chelsea lack all three of those traits.

Pedigree-wise, Adams is a 36-cap senior international with Champions League and silverware-winning experience, and at the age he is right now, he would occupy a bizarre middle ground at Stamford Bridge between being one of the more seasoned midfielders on Chelsea’s books while still not quite having entered the midst of his prime.

There will be those who see these latest links and harbour their doubts - detractors and naysayers who question the wisdom of a club of Blues’ standing dredging the depths of the Championship for reinforcements. But Adams frequently proved last season that he is far too good to be playing in the second tier, and provided Boehly and his entourage actually make good on their intention to recruit other midfielders besides the Leeds star, then this could be an astute piece of business.

The price is low, but the return could be high - and how often have we been able to say both of those things about a Chelsea signing since the American took over in the boardroom? Adams could prove to be an unconventional signing for the Blues, not because he lacks quality or potential, but because he would be understated, effective, and relatively cheap.

He may not quicken pulses in the same way that Caicedo would if and when he signs, but that doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t be a good addition to Mauricio Pochettino’s squad, or ease a fair few headaches in west London.