FOUR ‘transfer bargains’ to improve Chelsea’s fortunes Despite the media-mayhem, dips in form and controversy surrounding Chelsea at the start of the season, ‘interim’ manager Rafa Benitez has done a good job of steadying the ship at Stamford Bridge, to make way for the next Blues boss – who will almost certainly be Jose Mourinho – to make a more serious challenge for the Premier League title for their incoming campaign. The fans, the players and the new manager in West London will expect a rather sizeable cash injection over the course of the summer to spend on new recruits, with a number of Europe’s biggest stars reportedly up for sale. Yet, money does not always breed success (just ask Manchester City), and in fact some of the best transfer purchases are done on a shoestring. Just to prove our point, in addition to giving Mourinho some ideas regarding summer purchases, we’ve complied a list of FIVE players throughout Europe who could be acquired in the coming transfer window without commanding huge fees but still able to lift the quality of the Chelsea squad. Alex McCarthy It may seem like a rather unimportant purchase, but following Chelsea’s decision to quite rightly release the substandard Ross Turnbull, the Blues need goalkeeping competition alongside Mark Schwartzer. Going down the home-grown route appears to be a priority at Stamford Bridge, in order to fill their quotas for the European tournaments. Therefore, the Blues should take a close look at Alex McCarthy. The Reading goalie’s season was cut short by serious injury, but towards the tail-end of the Royals’ relegation campaign produced some excellent displays, earning him a call-up to the England national team. The 23 year old’s performance against Liverpool was truly breathtaking, managing to claim a clean sheet against the Reds via a string of exceptional saves that even a world-class keeper would be proud of. McCarthy ticks all the boxes in terms of nationality, age, potential and ability, and would furthermore fit hierarchically well into the Chelsea squad. With Reading failing to avoid the drop this year, they will have little choice but to sell McCarthy should they be presented with a fair offer for the young goalie. Micah Richards Micah Richards’ season was unfortunately cut short by a serious knee injury, but in his absence, the right-back slot in Man City’s first team has been claimed by Pablo Zabaletta, with the Argentinian producing sensational form and named in the PFA Team of the Year. It doesn’t spell the end of the England man’s career at Eastlands, but Richards’ slide down the pecking order could warrant a summer departure in order to get more game time and seriously challenge Glen Johnson’s position in the Three Lions’ set- up. The 24 year old already has a wealth of experience in his locker, having played in 177 Premier League fixtures, lifting the title and FA Cup along the way. Furthermore, Richards’ utility in being able to play at centre-back or full-back make him an attractive prospect, in addition to his immense physique and aerial ability. Chelsea already have a collection of decent defenders, but the City academy graduate would certainly add to the overall quality and depth of the squad. The Skyblues will be reluctant to sell however, and the England defender may command a fee of around the £12million mark. Roberto Soldado Whoever the incoming Chelsea boss may be – although at this point i’d bet my mortgage, savings, children and all of my fiscal assets on it being Jose Mourinho – they will be widely expected to bring in a new striker over the course of the summer, as there has been an over- reliance upon the Blues midfield for goals this season. Whereas the availability of big- money signings Radamel Falcao, Robert Lewandowski, Edinson Cavani and Wayne Rooney are well known, a much cheaper alternative would be Roberto Soldado. The Valencia forward has been ever-consistent in La Liga, coming through the youth system at Real Madrid and having successful spells at Osasuna and Getafe, in addition to his current club, regularly recording over 15 goals per season. The Spaniard’s career total stands at an impressive 194 goals in 397 games, leading to widespread interest in his services throughout Europe. At 28 years of age however, if Soldado is to move to the Premier League it has to be now, and this summer represents the best opportunity to sign the forward with Valencia’s financial crisis continually worsening. Due to the Spanish club’s growing debt, their clinical finisher could leave for as little as £9million in the coming transfer window. Kyriakos Papadopoulos Kyriakos Papadopoulos is quickly emerging as one of Europe’s best young defenders, and is currently plying his trade in the Bundesliga with Schalke. The Greek international rose to acclaim upon making his first team debut with former club Olympiacos aged just 15, a record in the Greek top flight. He moved to Schalke in 2010, going on to make 92 competitive appearances in the space of three years. This season, the 21 year old has made just 12 senior appearances, but has impressed throughout including during his three outings in the Champions League, recording an average of 3.2 tackles and 3.1 interceptions per game. Papadopoulos is certainly one for the future, and purchasing him now would be a wise investment in comparison to what his value could be a few years down the line. According to the newspapers, a bid of around £12million could be enough to start negotiations, however Chelsea will have be in direct competition with Liverpool for the Greek wonder-kid’s services.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Jul 2013 18:47:07 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015