Barclays Premier League champions Chelsea have lost out on yet another transfer target as Olympique de Marseille’s highly-rated midfielder Giannelli Imbula has opted to join Portuguese giants Porto.
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Last season’s Primeira Liga runners-up announced the news via their official Twitter account to confirm one of the best deals of the transfer window so far.
Bem-vindo, Giannelli Imbula. http://t.co/FFsK8XiRYi / Bienvenue, Giannelli Imbula. / Welcome, Giannelli Imbula. pic.twitter.com/QnyJe8JIRc
— FC Porto (@FCPorto) July 1, 2015
The 22-year-old was in fine form for the Ligue 1 giants last season as he scored twice and provided the same number of assists in 37 league appearances.
However, it’s his tough tackling style that has seen him linked to a host of top European clubs this summer including Chelsea [via Metro Sport], who are looking to strengthen in the midfield department ahead of the new campaign.
Imbula showed on numerous occasions in France that he is brilliant at breaking up play, which would have suited the West London outfit’s counter-attacking style as he would have been a forceful partnership alongside Nemanja Matic in the engine room at Stamford Bridge would have been a forceful partnership.
His move to Portugal comes on the back of the news that another Blues transfer target-Brazil midfielder Douglas Costa-completed his switch to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich on the same day and that means boss Jose Mourinho will have to switch targets [BBC].