A look at some of Chelsea’s other targets that could have strengthened their squad this season.
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Chelsea, as expected, made some big investments this summer after the return to Stamford Bridge of the legendary Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese coach spent over £60m on new players, including some big names in Willian from Anzhi Makhachkala and Andre Schurrle from Bayer Leverkusen.
Still, Mourinho was known to have some other high-profile targets in other areas of his squad, which he arguably could have done with more. A new midfielder and a new striker in particular were said to be high on his agenda, and here is a list of five players linked with the club over the summer that the Blues’ money may have been better spent on.
5. Eliaquim Mangala (Porto)
An exceptionally talented young defender, Porto’s Eliaquim Mangala was said to be a top target for Mourinho for some time, particularly when David Luiz’s future was up in the air regarding strong interest from Barcelona. Still, with John Terry not getting any younger and being in and out of the side due to lack of fitness and form over the last few years, a new and young centre-back of this calibre could have been very useful to Chelsea this season.
Mangala would no doubt have been expensive, with a rumoured release clause of around £40m, and a host of other clubs also chasing him, but with the money at Chelsea’s disposal, it looks like it would have been well spent on this 22-year-old French international, who will no doubt continue to improve and attract further interest in the near future, most notably from fellow Premier League big-spenders Manchester City.