Five players that could really help Chelsea mount a serious challenge for honours this season.
5. Ilkay Gundogan – Borussia Dortmund
In all likelihood, the 23-year-old will be heading to England sooner or later. Though he has been linked with a move to Manchester United, it wouldn’t be unfair to suggest that Chelsea are probably the more attractive offer at the moment as the Red Devils continue to struggle through their transitional period.
A great technical talent, he is also more than aware of his more defensive duties too and the old adage of a player having a ‘great engine’ certainly applies to Germain international.
Chelsea will eventually need a replacement for Frank Lampard, who’s contract and career are both now winding down, meaning the club will need someone capable of linking the defensive midfield are with the more forward thinking Andre Schurrle.
His signature is now fair game, as the players father quickly rubbished the rumours that Real Madrid had agreed a deal in principle to give them first refusal over his future and with his contract winding down in 2015 Dortmund could be tempted to sell and re-invest before they risk losing him for nothing.
4. Eliaquim Mangala – Porto
The 22-year-old has been on the radar of a number of English clubs since the last January transfer window, but said clubs wanted to wait and keep an eye on his development over the course of the season before making their move.
However, they may have waited too long as a number of clubs have joined them in their interest. The likes of Manchester United, Bayern Munich, AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund now look set to step up their interest after the French international has become a key figure in helping Porto in securing their second successive Portuguese league title.
He is now a fully established international with the French national side with three caps to his name, keeping the likes of Raphael Varane, Mamadou Sakho and Phillipe Mexes in the process.
However, Mangala stated last month that he is in no rush to leave Porto after such a successful season, but didn’t rule out a move should an opportunity too good to turn down comes along: “To be honest, moving this season is not ideal for me, I intend to stay in Porto but you never know in football.”
Chelsea would do well to land him, but he would be worth the effort.
3. Javier Hernandez – Manchester United
There’s one thing that isn’t in dispute and that is Hernandez’s ability in front of goal.
United’s partnership of Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie have prevented him from starting as many games as he’d like, but whenever he’s come in from the fringes he’s proved that he still knows there the goal is.
Concerned by his lack of opportunities during a World Cup year, a move will very much be on his mind come the new year and the possibility of staying in the Premier League, where he is already established, will surely appeal.
Chelsea lack a true goal poacher like Hernandez. With Fernando Torres still not firing on all cylinders and Samuel Eto a veritable shadow of the player he used to be, Jose Mourinho needs a player that can feed off of all the service provided in and around the box by the rest of the club’s attacking players.
However, it’s not likely that United will want to let him go without having a replacement lined up, meaning that it may require a few more 0’s on the cheque in order to bring him on board at Stamford Bridge.
2. Xabi Alonso – Real Madrid
The former Liverpool man is in the final year of his contract at Real and he may be the wrong side of 30 he still has a lot to offer with a number of club’s keen to utilise his vast wealth of experience.
He is a player that Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho knows all about too, having working with him during his own time in the Spanish capital and wants him in west London so much that he is even prepared to offer him a three year deal to return to England.
The deep lying playmaker does have previous bad history with current Blues hero Frank Lampard, though, as he blames the England man for breaking his leg with a slide tackle back in 2005, but at 31 and 35 respectively, it’s unlikely that they will play in the same side too many times.
A born winner, he would add an assuredness to the Chelsea midfield that is so full of youthful exuberance (apart from Lamps) and his through balls and defence splitting passes will make the side an even bigger danger than they already are. Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti won;t want him to leave, so this would also be a great chance to get one over on their former coach as well as a fellow Champions League rival.
1. Diego Costa – Atletico Madrid
As good as Atletico are at the moment, the chances of holding on to the Brazilian-born Spanish striker for the long term aren’t likely to be very good, especially if their season begins to unravel at any point and the slide further behind the big two of Barcelona and Real Madrid.
His record of 16 goals in 17 games this season has seen his star rise even further from where it was last term and his signature is one of the most sought after in Europe.
Rumour has it that manager Jose Mourinho is even prepared to ditch his interest in Monaco’s Radamel Falcao, himself a former Atleti star, in favour of Costa because of his work rate and prowess in front of goal.
Quality up front is in short supply at Stamford Bridge this season and Costa would certainly provide them with a lift. Furthermore they have yet another former Atletico man to barter with in the shape of Fernando Torres. The World Cup winner has struggled since arriving in West London and could welcome the opportunity to make the move back home.