With some of our punters asking just when the Christmas decorations are going to be going up, our landlord responded that he’s far more interested in the opening of the January transfer window.
It could be a big month for Chelsea who desperately look in need of a few morale boosting reinforcements right now with their season having proved an absolute disaster so far.
As has been discussed many times over a pint in the tavern so far this season, it’s difficult to put your finger on just why the Blues have suffered such a dramatic fall from grace.
With rumours that Mourinho has lost the dressing room after Eva Carneiro-gate, it is up to a lot of the underperforming stars to now take a long look at themselves while trying their utmost to haul the club back up the Premier League table.
One particular division Mourinho may be well advised to exploit in January is the Portuguese Primeira Liga where the manager of course made his name in the game.
With a lot of Mourinho’s initial successes at Stamford Bridge coming when the manager was able to call upon compatriots such as Paulo Ferreira and Ricardo Carvalho, there are currently no Portuguese nationals at the Blues’ disposal.
With these players perhaps wanting to try that little bit harder under a Portuguese legend such as Mourinho, we’ve identified five Primeira Liga players made up of Portuguese nationals and others who should be on the Blues’ radar for January.
[ffc-gallery]
Click on the image below to reveal the five Primeira Liga stars who should be on Chelsea’s January radar.
[/ffc-gallery]
Ruben Neves
Becoming the youngest ever captain to appear in the Champions League when FC Porto faced Maccabi Tel Aviv in the competition earlier this season, the hype around Ruben Neves went into overdrive.
Linked persistently with both Liverpool and Chelsea so far this autumn, Porto president Pinto da Costa has already come out and claimed the recently capped senior Portuguese international isn’t for sale at any price but how often have we heard that in the past?
Currently under contract at the Estadio do Dragao until 2019, it would take a huge fee to even make the Portuguese giants sweat but with Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas struggling this term, not to mention John Obi Mikel and Ramires being average players for some Blues supporters, perhaps Roman Abramovich should cough up for the future star.
Islam Slimani
Although West Ham United and Tottenham are thought to be battling for Islam Slimani’s services right now according to The Sun, perhaps Chelsea should be getting in on the act as well?
To sign the likes of Napoli’s Gonzalo Higuain in January will prove an incredibly ambitious task so perhaps Chelsea should be looking at the likes of the lesser-known Slimani who currently boasts a goalscoring record of 27 Primeira Liga strikes in 57 appearances.
Diego Costa and Radamel Falcao have massively flattered to deceive so far this term and Loic Remy remains a bit-part striker at best so bringing another player in would keep those guys on their toes.
Goncalo Guedes
Eight days ago, the London Evening Standard proceeded with a story that claimed Chelsea were monitoring the progress of Benfica whizz kid Goncalo Guedes.
Earning his first two senior international caps for Portugual of late, Guedes has drawn comparisons with Cristiano Ronaldo and if the 18-year-old was to enjoy even half the success Ronaldo has enjoyed in his career, he’ll be one hell of a player in a few years’ time.
Blues scouts have already been deployed at Benfica fixtures to watch Guedes in action but a huge stumbling block remains the fact that he now has a £42 million release clause installed in his contract.
Nevertheless, Chelsea have huge resources themselves and should at least be making an enquiry in the New Year.
Bruno Martins Indi
He’s currently at the centre of transfer rumours linking him with a January transfer window switch to Manchester United but given Chelsea’s woes at the back, we think the Blues should be in the running for Bruno Martins Indi’s signature too.
Having seen a summer transfer deadline day swoop for Paris Saint-Germain’s Marquinhos get rejected, not to mention getting nowhere in pursuit of Everton’s John Stones, we think the Blues should fix their sights on somebody new altogether.
Capable of playing at centre back, not to mention left back as well, Martins Indi is a versatile customer and let’s be honest, if any new centre back arrives at Stamford Bridge in January, it’ll probably spell the end of Papy Djilobodji’s rather laughable spell in West London.
Anderson Talisca
He’s been a long-term target of Chelsea and yet again this January, Benfica’s Anderson Talisca is reportedly back on the Blues’ radar according to Metro.
A centre forward who can also be deployed deeper on on the flanks, Talisca is incredibly versatile and still young enough to be considered a long-term star at just 21-years-old.
Lately, some reports have claimed that Chelsea are interested in pursuing a double deal for both Talisca and the aforementioned Guedes but Metro states the latter player is probably more of a priority signing.
That seems strange to us given Chelsea probably need to source an adequate replacement for Radamel Falcao who will almost certainly not be remaining in West London beyond the conclusion of the current campaign.
