The first half of the 2023/24 season was undeniably rough for Chelsea and their fans, but one defeat, one loss, five wins, and a place in the League Cup final in their last seven games have left the Blues in a much better place this month.

Mauricio Pochettino still has an awful lot to do at Stamford Bridge this year to turn this campaign into one worth remembering, but with a few days left of the transfer window and Todd Boehly's comically large pockets at his disposal, he could do just that.

The latest player touted for a move to West London is one of the most exciting youngsters in the league and could well be the perfect long-term partner for Levi Colwill.

Chelsea look north for defensive reinforcements

According to Italian publication Corriere dello Sport, Chelsea have already 'made a move' for Everton's promising young centre-back, Jarrad Branthwaite.

However, the Blues are only one of the interested parties, as the report has also named Manchester United and Real Madrid as sides keen on the young Englishman.

While the Pensioners seem to be the most active player in this saga, Corriere dello Sport has claimed that the Toffees are not interested in selling their defensive titan until their safety has been secured this season.

Whether the west Londoners can get their man this month or in the summer, it is set to cost them an arm and a leg, as according to a report from The i last month, Everton have placed a £100m price tag on their star's head.

Branthwaite could be the perfect Colwill partner

Now, some may claim that with Thiago Silva, Axel Disasi, Wesley Fofana and Benoît Badiashile in the side, Pochettino has no need to sign a new long-term partner for Colwill, and while that might appear so on paper, the reality is entirely different.

Silva, for example, will be 40 years old before the end of the year, which is just too old to be relied upon in the Premier League, regardless of how useful he has been since signing for the club. Fofana is another centre-back who cannot be depended on, only this time, due to his horrific injury record; since August 2021, he has missed 118 games and counting for club and country.

Disasi has been playing regularly for the side this season and is only 25 years old, but he just hasn't been good enough since making the switch from AS Monaco, with talkSPORT pundit Andy Jacobs labelling him a "disaster" earlier in the season.

Finally, Badiashile could well be a great player for the Blues in the future, but Pochettino clearly doesn't trust him – or he doesn't rate him – as the 22-year-old Frenchman has started just 25% of the Blues' league games this season.

Branthwaite has the edge on all four Chelsea defenders as, despite being just 21, he has clearly earned the trust of Sean Dyche and started 86% of the Toffees' league games so far this term, and crucially, his injury record shouldn't be of much concern, with his last layoff coming almost a year ago.

Moreover, the 6 foot 5 "monster", as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, compares favourably to the three Chelsea centre-backs who have played this season regarding their underlying defensive numbers.

1.39

0.77

0.75

0.98

1.06

0.52

0.64

1.76

1.78

0.93

0.78

0.53

3.89

2.11

1.71

3.14

2.56

1.70

2.51

2.35

6.39

5.26

5.03

7.25

In fact, the English "wall", as Kulig dubbed him, only comes out second best in two metrics, ball recoveries and tackles won, which could be explained away through the limited game time Badiashile has been given this campaign.

Ultimately, Chelsea have four centre-backs on their books who could form a partnership with Colwill, but each has at least one major drawback. So if Boehly and Co want to secure their backline for the next decade or more, they should be going all out to secure the much sought-after Branthwaite this year.