With the January transfer window coming around the corner, it’s usual for a club like Chelsea to be linked with every single player possible. When a club has an owner like Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, you expect the club to be linked to players for exorbitant fees. It’s a hassle looking through sites, scouring for rumours and wondering if it’s true or made up to fill the lines of papers. Nor you or I know what’s behind Jose Mourinho’s mind, but scrutinising rumoured targets is harmless. When you create a page like Transfer News Central that focuses on each rumour and transfer, you tend to know the right from wrong. Analysing rumours may cause you a Hazard (yes, I used a pun), so why don’t we do that for you?
It’s widely suggested that the club’s main priorities heading into the winter transfer market, is getting in a striker and a central defensive midfielder. It seems that getting in a centre-back and left-back are also on Mourinho’s agenda. Despite the 4 positions mentioned, I’ve seen links to wingers, attacking midfielders, right backs, and even a goalkeeper (that last one may be an exaggeration).
Centre-Back
Eliaqium Mangala
Age: 22
Nationality: France
Club: FC Porto
Rumoured fee: £40m release clause
A name we have seen linked to Chelsea since last summer. Mangala plays for Portuguese Primeira Liga side FC Porto and has been impressive in performances the past season. Since his arrival to the club in 2011 from Standard Liege, he matured into a solid rock in the back four. The club conceded 14 goals in 30 games, with Mangala also scoring seven throughout the campaign. Experts believe he has better jumping/heading ability/speed than John Terry and would be the perfect replacement.
Verdict: This rumour has truth in it. There is genuine interest along many other clubs including PSG, Manchester clubs, and more. Chelsea will see the possibility of bringing in Mangala for a reduced fee – way less than the £40m release clause. The club won’t splash that much amount of money to activate his clause. This may just turn into a saga, with other clubs also interested. Porto looks willing to sell, but they’re never easy negotiators, and will look to absorb Abramovich’s oil money.
Kurt Zouma
Age: 19
Nationality: France
Club: Saint-Etienne
Rumoured fee: £10million
Kurt Zouma is definitely an upcoming talented player that has been more than profound for Ligue 1 side St. Etienne. Zouma shows massive potential with his superior defensive skills – especially for a raw age of 18. The player has an 89% tackle success rate this season and continues to prove himself with the France national team.
Verdict: It’s pretty obvious that Kurt Zouma is Chelsea’s cheaper option to Mangala. Porto are in no hurry to sell after offloading James Rodriguez and Joao Moutinho last summer. If they ask for a hefty fee for Mangala, Zouma may be 2nd choice to Mourinho. Kurt Zouma does have a ban until the end of January due to injuring Sochaux's Thomas Guerbert, and the LFP will look to transfer that ban to England if a move occurs.
Final Verdict: I predict that these two are the only ones we will be looking to get during the January window. For now anyways!
Left-Back
Luke Shaw
Age: 18
Nationality: England
Club: Southampton
Rumoured fee: Unknown
Luke Shaw is definitely a Premier League left-back prodigy at Southampton proving his worth week in week out at the club. The 18-year old shows no sign that he is still an unfinished product. So far this season (9 appearances), he has a 75% pass accuracy and a 65% average duels won with 43 interceptions and 12 clearances. Ashley Cole on the other hand (9 appearances) has a 90% average pass accuracy, 42% average duels won, with 19 clearances and 11 interceptions.
Verdict: Interest is there for Shaw and it was there before Jose Mourinho. The question is, will they go in for him in January. In my opinion, he won’t look for a move until end of the season. Even then, the club will have to convince Southampton to lower their asking price especially after his summer contract extension. The other topic being discussed is that we already have Ryan Bertrand and loanee Patrick van Aanholt (who just got called up to Netherlands national squad) waiting to replace Ashley Cole. Is he a necessary buy? Let us know.
Alberto Moreno
Age: 21
Nationality: Spain
Club: Sevilla
Rumoured fee: £20m-plus
Alberto Moreno definitely has potential to be one of the best left-backs in the world – this is what experts are predicting! Moreno progressed from Sevilla B to Sevilla last season making 25 appearances so far. In a matter of a year playing with Sevilla, he has been called up to Spain with two caps. The player’s exciting defensive displays has been attracting interest from all over Europe, with scouts looking his every move. Sevilla’s youth academy has produced a multitude of talented world-class players from Sergio Ramos to Jesus Navas. The academy boasts 400 players across 22 youth teams with 700 scouts around the world.
Verdict: Moreno is desperate to get into the Spanish World Cup team and moving to another club may harm his chances. It looks like he won’t make the move until end of the season and possibly after the World Cup (if he makes the squad). It’s the same stance as Luke Shaw. Is he a necessary buy with Ryan Bertrand and Patrick van Aanholt?
Final Verdict: Acquiring a left-back isn’t our main priority as there are more important positions to fill. Mourinho will look at other targets and bring in what we need before looking at Shaw or Moreno.
Defensive Midfielder
Giannelli Imbula
Age: 21
Nationality: France/Democratic Republic of the Congo
Club: Olymique de Marseille
Rumoured fee: £18m-£25m
There has been an increase in links to Giannelli Imbula – and loads of it! Mourinho is looking for a defensive midfielder and Imbula has a bright future. Chelsea scouts are lining up to look him at every possible chance, with a massive jump from Ligue 2 side Guingamp (now a Ligue 1 side). The exciting midfielder was named best player of Ligue 2 last season after his promotion with Guingamp and joined Marseille just last summer.
Verdict: Interest is there and Chelsea have scouts looking him with Jose Mourinho publicly praising him. In my opinion, Chelsea should opt for a more experienced defensive midfielder to be a leader in the back. The club has the likes of Nathan Ake, Nathaniel Chalobah and Josh McEachran and bringing in a 21-year old yet to prove himself at the club may be a risky decision. Regardless, Imbula is talented and Mourinho did acclaim him for his ‘wonderful left foot, technique, and football brain”.
Blaise Matuidi
Age: 26
Nationality: France
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Rumoured Fee: Unknown but his rumoured value is €18m (definitely PSG would ask for way more)
Matuidi to Chelsea is definitely a new link, and it came after rumours over a disagreement in contract talks. The player’s contract with PSG ends at the end of the season and Matuidi claims ‘anything can happen in a career”. The 26-year old has 2 goals in 13 appearances this season in the Ligue 1 with a 90% passing accuracy and 11 total chances created. Is he the right man for Chelsea?
Verdict: I don’t see him joining Chelsea this January window or summer. Chelsea and other clubs are definitely on alert with contract talks ongoing, but I don’t see a move happening. The London club has other more realistic targets.
Axel Witsel
Age: 24
Nationality: Belgium
Club: Zenit St. Petersburg
Rumoured fee: €30million
Axel Witsel joined Zenit St. Petersburg last year as he was forced by Benfica to make the move (similar to Hulk’s situation with Porto). In reality, he wanted a move to the Premier League and is publicly opened to a move now. With Zenit going through a financial crisis, they will ask for a respected amount of money from suitors.
Verdict: A move for Witsel is very possible. He is an easy target to get as he publicly put out a come and get me plea to Chelsea and Manchester United. At the same time he’s a Belgian national making Chelsea an attractive destination, with the club having a multitude of Belgian talents. Witsel was wanted by Chelsea when he was at Benfica and interest is still there. The question is, will Chelsea splash out €30million for Witsel or can they lower down the asking price.
Xabi Alonso
Age: 31
Nationality: Spain
Club: Real Madrid
Rumoured fee: Unknown
Xabi Alonso is an experienced defensive midfielder going through his final year on the contract. He is currently in talks with Real Madrid over a new one, after Sami Khedira’s injury but the player may look elsewhere. A move back to the Premier League is very possible with strong interest from Manchester United and Chelsea. Xabi Alonso would reunite with his former coach Jose Mourinho, and Xabi Alonso wouldn’t be a harm to our upcoming youth products.
Verdict: Right now Jose Mourinho is monitoring Alonso’s contract situation closely but will face stiff competition from Manchester United. The Manchester club are already rumoured to be discussing a contract with Alonso.
Nemanja Matic
Age: 25
Nationality: Serbia
Club: Benfica
Rumoured fee: £15 million-20m
Yes. Chelsea are interested in signing their former youth product Nemanja Matic! Matic joined Chelsea in 2009 from Serbian club Košice where he spent two years at the club with a 1-year loan at Vitesse (Chelsea B). Since joining Benfica, he featured 51 times and scored 4 goals. The player already spoke about Chelsea’s interest in October: “I would probably like to stay another year with Benfica, but if somebody like Mourinho wanted to bring me back to London it would be difficult to turn down. It would be a great chance to prove that I can play in the Premier League."
Verdict: Matic said it himself. Despite Chelsea selling him in the first place the appeal of Jose Mourinho would be ‘difficult to turn down’. It would give Matic a chance to prove himself at Chelsea for the time he lost during his tenure at the club.
Final Verdict: Jose Mourinho will look at Matic, Alonso, and Witsel as possible defensive midfield targets. Yet again, no one knows Mourinho who could go ahead and sign 21-year old Imbula. On the other hand, I don’t see Chelsea or a Premier League club brining in Matuidi anytime soon.
Striker
Radamel Falcao
Age: 27
Nationality: Colombia
Club: AS Monaco
Rumoured fee: £52million-60m
Radamel Falcao – El Tigre. A world class proven goalscorer who scores like there is no tomorrow. The club has shown concrete interest in the player since Falcao’s hat-trick trashing against Chelsea in UEFA Super Cup of 2012. The Colombian (as of September 25) has 100 goals in 125 European games –a whopping record for any striker. He was a fundamental part of FC Porto and Atletico Madrid and currently has 9 goals in 13 matches for Monaco.
Verdict: Chelsea will definitely have their eyes on Radamel Falcao this January. Jose Mourinho may have looked his Belgian players against Colombia, but rumours suggest there was contact with Falcao’s advisors. It’s reported that Falcao is unsettled at Monaco and is looking to leave during the January window. I can see him moving but there is a massive chance he will stay until end of the season. He has a contract with Monaco until 2018 and the club are in no hurry to sell an acquisition they brought in months ago.
Robert Lewandowski
Age: 25
Nationality: Poland
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Rumoured fee: £7m
Robert Lewandowski is another name closely followed by Chelsea for the past two years and there is genuine interest in the player. Jose Mourinho did contact Lewandowski this summer to persuade him to move but the player decided to stay one more season at the club. Lewandowski is part of Dortmund’s rise in the Bundesliga in the past years banging in 63 Bundesliga goals since 2010 with 9 goals in 12 matches this season.
Verdict: It’s not going to be easy to convince Lewandowski in joining Chelsea. The player is set to join Dortmund rivals Bayern Munich and rumours suggest a pre-contract has been signed. Lewandowski’s contract ends at the end of the season and a majority of clubs are on alert as he is on sale for a bargain price. The question is – can Mourinho convince him to ditch Bayern Munich and join the London club?
Jackson Martinez
Age: 27
Nationality: Colombia
Club: FC Porto
Rumoured fee: £35million
A move for Jackson Martinez has been on the table for a while and many fans would prefer the player over Radamel Falcao. The 27-year old has been imperative to Porto with seven goal s in nine games for the Portuguese club. Jackson Martinez is yet to make his name internationally and a move to Chelsea would only augment his chances to be world class. He is definitely a talent and is on Jose Mourinho’s shortlist.
Verdict: Many prefer Jackson Martinez over Radamel Falcao as he is available for cheaper and may be as world class as Falcao. Martinez is looking to make a move outside of Portugal and a move to Chelsea would be a win-win situation. The player already expressed his desire to leave the club: “The years are passing and one day I hope to make a good transfer. It clearly depends on Porto, a club that sells its players so well. Leaving or staying depends on Porto but I will only go if there's something concrete."
Final Verdict: Chelsea's main priority seems to be bringing in a goalscoring striker. I feel Mourinho's shortlist consists of these 3 strikers and if he fails to bring one of them we may need to look elsewhere!
That’s 12 players linked to Chelsea from 4 positions! It’s going to be a fruitful January transfer window as we look Jose Mourinho make his moves. In the end, Mourinho may surprise us with an unexpected signing. PLEASE don’t get your hopes up on Chelsea rumours because there is always that twist in the end!
