Round-up of top talents the Stamford Bridge side have reportedly set their sights on.
Roman Abramovich saw his Blues side capture a long awaited Champions League trophy last May but was still keen to further improve a Stamford Bridge squad that was still some way off the Premier League title race.
Despite forking out over £80m to sign the likes of Eden Hazard, Cesar Azpilicueta, Marko Marin, Victor Moses and Oscar the club fell at the first hurdle in the pursuit of retaining their Champions League title. They have also failed to get anywhere near leaders Man United in the search for domestic honours.
Therefore it is entirely possible that the Russian billionaire will look to splash the cash this summer. Here are four ‘marquee’ signings that he has been strongly linked with.
Radamel Falcao (Atletico Madrid)
The West London side, who have been linked with interest in Colombian forward Falcao for some months, are ready to make the big money offer for the 26 year old as Roman Abramovich looks to snare a ‘marquee’ signing in the summer and such a move may well lead many to wonder where Fernando Torres’s future lies.
Falcao has been been a huge hit since his move to the Vicente Calderon from FC Porto, notching up 36 goals in his first season at the club and scoring 22 goals in 21 appearances thus far this season.
His goals has seen Atletico Madrid mount a serious challenge for a Champions League berth and currently Diego Simeone’s side sit firmly in second spot, splitting La Liga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Atletico Madrid sit seven points clear of their city rivals from the Bernabeu and nine off runaway leaders Barcelona, however this good form doesn’t mean that the club will keep hold of Falcao and the club do have a history of selling their best players with the likes of the aforementioned Torres, Diego Forlan, Sergio Aguero and most recently David de Gea all leaving for ‘Bigger’ clubs.
The Metro believe that such is Chelsea’s desire to land the in-form striker that they are willing to offer a huge cash sum AND keeper Thibaut Courtois, who has spent the last two seasons on loan at the Atletico.
Edinson Cavani (Napoli)
It seems clear that as much of a big spender that Abramovich is, he is unlikely to want to buy both of these big money forwards but that said it does seem that the Russian is keen on this Uruguayan.
The former Palermo man hasn’t stopped scoring since his move to Italy in January 2007. The powerful forward managed 30 goals in his final two seasons with the Sicilian side before completing a move to the San Paolo where his career has really taken off.
Cavani managed 33 goals in each of his first two campaigns with Walter Mazzarri’s side and has managed an astonishing 27 goals in 26 matches thus far this term, helping Napoli to mount a genuine Serie A title challenge.
According to talkSPORT the 25 year old is very high up on the Stamford Bridge wish-list, won’t come cheap though!
Marouane Fellaini (Everton)
Chelsea’s pursuit of Fellaini would surely be aided by the fact that four of his countrymen are already at the Stamford Bridge side; Eden Hazard, Thiabaut Courtois, Romelu Lukaku and Kevin de Bruyne.
The goal-scoring midfielder has been in the best form of his Goodison Park career this season, netting 10 goals in 20 Premier League appearances this season. Perhaps the chances of a move would further increase if veteran Frank Lampard leaves the West London club this summer.
Everton star Marouane Fellaini has apparently encouraged Chelsea to make an offer for his services according to The Sun.
If the Toffees don’t clinch a Champions League berth for next term there seems a very good chance the midfield powerhouse will be on his way.
Willian (Anzhi)
Incredible Chelsea are apparently ready to launch a £35m bid for Brazilian midfielder Willian despite the fact he only moved from Shakhtar Donetsk to Anzhi little more than a week ago, so say the Daily Mirror.
Apparently a major stumbling block to any move to Stamford Bridge came in the form of Shakhtar owner Rinat Akhmetov who apparently refused to sell to fellow oligarch Abramovich, now a move could be back on the cards.
A move to join his fellow countrymen David Luiz, Ramires and Oscar at the West London club may tempt Willian and the flair player may well be seen as an ideal long term replacement for veteran Frank Lampard.
Willian managed four goals in the Champions League this term, helping Shakhtar Donetsk into the last 16 before he left to join Anzhi who currently sit second in the Russian top tier.