For the first time in a long time here in the Football Transfer Tavern, our resident Chelsea fans have been ordering double measures, not in celebration but rather to cheer themselves up following yesterday’s 3-0 humbling by Manchester City.
Still yet to win a game inside 90 minutes when you take into account the Blues’ pre-season fixtures to boot, the signs are worrying for Jose Mourinho and it’s not so often you say that, is it?
Branding yesterday’s defeat at the Etihad Stadium a ‘fake result’, it’s hard to agree with the outspoken Portuguese with City having looked completely convincing in their two Premier League fixtures so far leading many to claim they are the team to beat this season.
Yesterday’s game also marked another infamous moment for the Blues with John Terry having been hauled off by Chelsea for the first time in 178 starts with Kurt Zouma coming on for the long-serving star in the second half.
With the Daily Mail reporting Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness’ claims that Mourinho substituted Terry as a statement to Roman Abramovich that he needs to up the ante in the transfer market in signing Everton’s John Stones, others such as Niall Quinn believe Terry’s legs are finally starting to give way.
With Terry now 34-years-old, Chelsea fans know the club will need to source a long-term replacement for Terry sooner rather than later and with that in mind, we’ve devised a list of five outstanding candidates to eventually take over when JT retires.
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Click on the image below to reveal the 5 players Chelsea should sign to replace John Terry.
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John Stones
The number one candidate to take over from John Terry is Everton’s John Stones but with the Toffees having already rejected two separate bids from the Blues, the England international is proving extremely difficult to acquire.
Still being played by Roberto Martinez unlike David De Gea in his situation at Manchester United, the former Bansley youngster was again excellent in Everton’s fantastic 3-0 victory away at Southampton this past weekend.
Despite Everton’s stance on not selling him being bold right now, the Merseyside club have always operated like this and while he’d be sorely missed by Evertonians, you can’t rule out Chelsea making a third take-it-or-leave-it bid that the Toffees simply can’t refuse.
This third bid would have to be just over the £30 million mark to make Everton think twice you feel although the Daily Mail now claims both Manchester City and Manchester United are monitoring his situation also.
Aymeric Laporte
It doesn’t look as if the Athletic Bilbao defender will be leaving San Mames this summer but like Stones, the 21-year-old is also considered one of the best centre backs in world football for his age group.
The only Frenchman to play in Bilbao’s squad, yet boasting Basque roots to quality under the club’s ‘Cantera’ policy of course, Laporte has already made over 80 appearances for the La Liga club despite his slender years.
A French Under-21 international, a good season at club level could even thrust him into Didier Deschamps’ plans for Euro 2016 you feel.
Back in April, Metro reported how Chelsea were looking to use the assistance of kit supplier Adidas in order to get a deal done for Laporte with the German manufacturer having themselves provided the player with a hefty boot contract.
With concrete news of Laporte’s future having subsided ever since, it appears the Frenchman will be remaining at Bilbao to further his education, yet could be a major target next summer when his stock undoubtedly rises even higher.
Jose Maria Gimenez
While the likes of Manchester City have been linked with the likes of Atletico Madrid’s Diego Godin this summer, a team-mate of the Uruguayan, both at club and international level in Jose Maria Gimenez represents the next generation of world class centre backs.
Having put pressure on Godin for club and country while seeing off Miranda who joined Inter Milan from Atleti this summer, Gimenez is rated up alongside Raphael Varane as one of the best young centre backs in world football.
Alomgside the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Gimenez is one of the indispensable members in Diego Simeone’s squad right now but that doesn’t mean he’s impossible to sign in the next few windows.
Given Chelsea’s dealings with Atleti in the last couple of transfer windows, namely signing Diego Costa and Filipe Luis last summer, perhaps they could be calling the transfer hierarchy at the Vicente Calderon this time next summer?
Raphael Varane
Everybody has known about Raphael Varane’s capabilities for some time now and while it appears the Frenchman will be remaining at the Bernabeu alongside both Sergio Ramos and Pepe who’ve also been linked with switches away this summer, perhaps he won’t be in for a long-term stay at Real Madrid.
With Jose Mourinho having ultimately granted him his big breakthrough when in charge of Madrid, perhaps you can’t underestimate what this did for the player who you’d imagine would be grateful for the experience.
This is the sub text most of the papers have been referring to in their Varane Chelsea stories over the last couple of transfer windows but if he’s reportedly got available for a hefty price tag next summer, he’d definitely be someone on the Blues’ transfer radar.
Marquinhos
Not an option for this summer but potentially next depending on the playing time he receives at the Parc Des Princes this season but Paris Saint-Germain’s Marquinhos is like the aforementioned stars considered one of the brightest young centre backs of his age group.
The Daily Star reported back in March following the Brazilian’s penning of a new contract how Marquinhos rejected previous interest from both Manchester United and Chelsea due to the fact he was happy in the French capital.
The Brazilian international claimed: “I’m very happy that the Club is showing such confidence in me. It’s a new stage of my life. The project here in Paris is magnificent… and life in Paris is wonderful!
“I’m very happy with everything that’s happened in my life since signing here. Paris Saint-Germain has provided so much for me. I hope it continues for a long time to come.”
But given the fact the young defender is still battling for a regular place in the team with both David Luiz and Thiago Silva, perhaps too much time on the bench may force Marquinhos to reconsider his future next summer.
