Manchester United have emerged as shock favourites to sign Chelsea centre-back Gary Cahill.
The England defender has endured a difficult time of late and odds have been slashed on him moving to join former manager Jose Mourinho in Manchester.
Cahill has been at Chelsea since 2012, but United are now just 4/1 with Ladbrokes to be the 30-year-old’s next permanent club.
Arsenal, Tottenham, and Leicester City are all considered viable other options at 5/1, while a surprising move back to former club Bolton Wanderers is priced at 12/1.
The Blues defender is facing ever-increasing pressure currently with high-profile mistakes beginning to mount up and catch the eye of manager Antonio Conte.
Conte is without injured captain John Terry, so Cahill has partnered David Luiz in central defence for the past few games.
However, it has not gone to plan, with Terry’s injury coinciding with successive chastening defeats in the Premier League to Liverpool and Arsenal.
Cahill was culpable for helping Arsenal on their way in the Blues’ last match, getting caught dawdling on the ball by Alexis Sanchez, who robbed him of the ball before sprinting through to chip goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
With Cahill’s confidence at an all-time low, the Gunners ran riot in the first half, making it 3-0 before half-time.
If he loses Conte’s faith the England international’s poor form could signal the beginning of the end of his time at Chelsea, especially if Kurt Zouma’s recovery from injury is sped up.
Antonio Conte’s perfect start at Chelsea has come to a shuddering halt after conceding nine goals in four games, and a beleaguered fanbase have taken out their frustrations on central defender Gary Cahill.
Players and supporters are still reeling from the embarrassing nature of the 3-0 defeat against Arsenal last Saturday and Conte appears to be struggling to find a formula to turn catastrophe into clean sheets.
Cahill isn’t alone in being singled out for his poor performances, either, as Branislav Ivanovic is also seen as being in decline at the club, yet it is the England international’s failed back passes against Swansea City and Arsenal which have left him in the firing line.
His honest words after the Swansea draw offer hints to the burden that he is beginning to struggle with as teams seek to exploit Chelsea’s perceived weaknesses at the back.
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