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La Liga Leaks: Scouting for.. Chelsea

Introducing..

It was a season of frustration for Chelsea fans as they followed up winning the Premier League title by imploding in spectacular fashion. “The Special One” couldn’t stop the rot and his second time at the club came to an abrupt end. The arrival of Gus Hiddink didn’t change a great deal as the club laboured to a 10th-place finish. No European football, no Jose Mourinho.

Antonio Conte has been tasked with rebuilding this Chelsea side into title challengers once again and has already made some high profile signings. However they are still active in the transfer market as it looks like Conte will switch to a system using two strikers.

Problem areas

Now obviously it isn’t easy to address the major problems within Chelsea’s squad because so many key players underperformed. Eden Hazard was anonymous, apart from that game against Tottenham at Stamford Bridge, but you’d be mad to try and replacement the mercurial Belgian. There are some areas which could do with beefing up though.

Kurt Zouma, if he can avoid picking up too many injuries, looks to be a future star but I’m unconvinced Gary Cahill is good enough to take over from John Terry in the long run. He struggles with confidence at times, the worst thing a defender can do, and failed to steady the ship when things were going badly. He can be improved on.

Conte’s desire to have two strikers on the pitch explains the decision to sign Michy Batshuayi earlier this summer but you still feel they’re light up front. Diego Costa looks like he isn’t going anywhere but Loic Remy’s time at the club has been underwhelming and, should injury strike down one of the main two strikers, they’d want a more able player to come in if they are to maintain battles on various fronts next season.

Who could they sign?

At centre back, there are three strong options to choose from: Shkodran Mustafi, Iñigo Martinez, and Aymeric Laporte. All not quite at an elite level but certainly capable of reaching it within the next couple of years, or sooner, if in the right environment.

I wrote about Mustafi in the Arsenal blog and he’d be an ideal long-term successor to John Terry. Similar in style with an all or nothing attitude, willing to sacrifice his own well-being to stop an opposition’s attack. He’s strong in the air, loves the physical side of things and is great at reading the play. The one negative aspect about him, and it’s only based on last year, is that he looks much better alongside an experienced head than leading himself. While having the natural traits to be a leader he failed to take charge at Valencia, often getting into arguments with other defenders towards the end. I still think, in the right setting, he could explode and become one of the best defenders in the world.

Iñigo Martinez is no stranger to speculation linking him with moves away from Real Sociedad but the captain has always remained loyal. At the end of last season he was linked with a move to arch rivals Athletic Club but signed a new contract, reaffirming his status as fan favourite. However I could see him making the move should Chelsea come calling. He initially struggled under David Moyes but quickly became the guiding light, hitting form which deserved at least consideration for a place in the national squad from then-Spain coach Vicente del Bosque. Already a leader, there’s a danger he’s outgrown La Real and his development has been stunted due to his loyalty to the club. Not the greatest in the air but no slouch either. He’s comfortable with the ball at his feet and possesses excellent levels of concentration, something which I believe Cahill lacks. Easily the cheapest of the three.

It was reported by a reputable source that Aymeric Laporte was joining Manchester City this summer but he performed a late U-turn and signed a new contract with Athletic Club. The French youngster has developed at lightning pace but last season was probably his worse to date. He made more errors, looked less confident and never seemed to find his groove. That doesn’t take away from his enormous potential, everyone has bad days at the office, but it does make you wonder whether mentally he’s ready for a change in scenery. He’s great with the ball at his feet but shouldn’t overcomplicate things and displays maturity on the field beyond his years to read the attacker’s movement and clear the danger. He’d be the most expensive of the three but long-term could be the best of the bunch.

As for the striker position, the options are limited with as to who is ‘available’ and who isn’t. I guess we can add Kevin Gameiro to that list now as it appears his move to Atletico Madrid is all but complete. I do feel someone who could complement a big, strong striker like Diego Costa or Batshuayi is the ideal signing. Paco Alcacer would be strong addition to the forward line as he’s happy to drop deep, drag defenders out of position as well as play as the furthest man forward. He’s improved in front of goal too, scoring a minimum of 14 in each of his last three seasons for Valencia and was top scorer for Spain in qualifying for Euro 2016 - then inexplicably didn’t make the final squad.

If they’re after someone who would maybe be slightly happier to bide his time, or with less pressure on his shoulders, Lucas Perez could be another option. After an uneventful career prior to last term, he turned into one of the stars of the season with Deportivo as he scored 17 league goals. He equalled Bebeto’s club record by scoring in seven consecutive matches and was a large reason behind Depor challenging for the European places before Christmas. The wheels came off for his club in 2016 but he continued to score and assist, making him a potential bargain at around £15m. A tireless worker, someone the fans would embrace immediately, and with little to no pressure on his shoulders.