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Chelsea transfer news
Chelsea are keen to sign a new midfielder this summer to bolster their backup options in the midde of the park for next season, according to latest reports.
Despite comfortably winning the Premier League title in 2014/15, Jose Mourinho remains keen on improving on his squad’s depth, and has been linked with some slightly surprising names as a result.
It makes sense that Chelsea may not necessarily be after a big-name signing, with Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas currently working perfectly as the team’s first-choice pairing in that area, with both among the finest players in the country in the season just gone.
Still, there may be cause to improve on players like Ramires and John Obi Mikel in reserve, with the duo not looking particularly impressive when called upon to fill in for either Matic or Fabregas.
According to today’s Sun, here are the three players Mourinho is looking at in midfield this summer:
1) Moussa Dembele (Tottenham)
Not always a regular at Tottenham, Moussa Dembele has emerged as a highly surprising target for Chelsea to solve their midfield issues. The Belgian international is supposedly a player Mourinho has admired for some time, The Sun claims, but it is fair to say he has not really lived up to expectations at White Hart Lane. It may be that a change of scene would do the player good, though it’s hard to imagine he would particularly relish the pressure at a big club like Chelsea if he has failed to take his form from previous club Fulham with him to Spurs. As previously mentioned, though, Dembele could be a useful backup player, so may fare well if not relied upon to feature for 90 minutes every week.
2) Axel Witsel (Zenit Saint Petersburg)
A player The Sun say will cost around £24m, Zenit Saint Petersburg star Axel Witsel is another Belgian on Chelsea’s radar this summer and may be a more ambitious target. A tall and strong player who can operate comfortably in a defensive or attacking role, Witsel certainly looks like having all the attributes needed to succeed in English football. Whether or not he would be content to play as a backup at Stamford Bridge remains to be seen, but he’d certainly be a good option for the Blues to have at their disposal, even if £24m is a lot to pay for a player not intended to be first choice.
3) Giannelli Imbula (Marseille)
Finally, The Sun claims Chelsea have been scouting Marseille’s promising young midfielder Giannelli Imbula. The 22-year-old is another good, all-rounder in the middle of the park, though primarily a defensive player, which certainly fits the bill for Chelsea right now. Still, The Sun claim that La Liga side Valencia are currently the favourites to win the race for his signature.