With Chelsea currently languishing in 14th position in the Premier League, their fans have been very vocal around the Tavern. With the possibility of their club signing some top players this month, there have been some raised voices by the pool table.
Whilst bit part players such as Loic Remy are expected to leave Stamford Bridge, interim boss Guud Hiddink will be looking to bring in players who he feels can bolster his squad and make a difference as he looks to climb the league rankings in the second half of the season.
With the transfer window now open, a whole host of names have been suggested by our resident Chelsea fans and our landlord believes that some of the transfers could potentially happen before the window closes at the beginning of next month.
One player who is reportedly close to a move to the London outfit is Alexandre Pato and in this article, we will be discussing 5 players who could follow the Brazilian to Stamford Bridge.
Hit Pato below to see FIVE players that could follow him to Chelsea!
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John Stones
Jose Mourinho attempted to sign John Stones last summer, with the 21-year old reportedly handing in a transfer request, but Chelsea ultimately failed to sign him.
The Blues’ current centre backs are John Terry and Gary Cahill, who are 35 and 30 years old respectively. With Terry expected to retire sooner rather than later and with Cahill not in the greatest form this term, Chelsea may be looking to recruit a new defender who will be capable of partnering 21-year old Kurt Zouma for the long run.
Stones is valued at around £30 million, but our landlord believes that Chelsea could do much worse than the England international, who is also capable of playing at right-back.
Toni Kroos
Another area of the field which would benefit from a signing is in central midfield. The double pivot of Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic was phenomenal last season, although the pair have failed to live up to last season’s heights this season.
With the likes of Ramires and John Obi Mikel being relied upon for cover, the Chelsea squad is crying out for a world class addition in midfield, and the box-to-box engine Toni Kroos would plug the gap.
However, one punter has pointed out that the German is a mainstay in Real Madrid’s squad, with 17 league starts from 19, whilst their recent transfer ban may prevent them from selling their best players as they cannot be replaced.
Ezequiel Lavezzi
One player who Chelsea could definitely sign is winger Ezequiel Lavezzi. The 30-year old would likely be a short term option, though Chelsea fans will argue that a top winger is needed with Pedro’s initially impressive performances tailing off and Eden Hazard’s future in doubt.
The winger, who previously played for Serie A club Napoli, is also capable of playing as a forward and could potentially be used as cover should the Blues’ first choice strikers be unavailable.
Lavezzi is currently plying his trade for French outfit Paris Saint-Germain, however his current contract is due to expire in the summer and there seems to be no desire by the club to extend the Argentine’s deal. Whilst Chelsea could sign him now on a pre-contract ready for the summer, Hiddink is reported to be eyeing up a move this month in a cut-price deal.
Saido Berahino
One recent rumour spreading around the Tavern is that the Stamford Bridge club are interested in joining the race to land West Bromwich Albion striker Saido Berahino.
The 22-year old is being courted by several other Premier League clubs, including the likes of Liverpool and Spurs, but Chelsea’s financial power and highly talented squad may allure the forward.
Diego Costa has endured a rather hit and miss campaign thus far, and with Loic Remy expected to depart the club, Hiddink will be looking to acquire the services of a talented striker to provide competition for the other players at his disposal.
Jamie Vardy
Another Premier League striker who has been subject to interest from the Premier League’s top club is Jamie Vardy. Leicester may be reluctant to let the Premier League top scorer, who broke Ruud Van Nistlerooy’s consecutive games goalscoring record this term, leave the club.
But with the Englishman having recently turned 29 years of age, a substantial bid for the Foxes’ star striker may persuade the club to sanction a transfer away from the King Power Stadium.
Chelsea desperately need a consistent goalscorer to help them climb the league table, while a move to Stamford Bridge could be a make or break decision for Vardy who is on the cusp of being a part of the England squad with their European Championship campaign fast approaching.
