Chelsea have recently been linked with big money moves for John Stones and Paul Pogba. The Everton defender and Juventus midfielder, respectively, have been targeted by the Premier League Champions. It is largely rumoured that Chelsea have made multiple bids for both players that have been rejected by their clubs.
In this article we look at some players that would cost less than those two options but still provide the talent to improve our first team.
First, at CM we look at some options that would certainly cost less than Paul Pogba but add needed talent to our first eleven. First, Marco Verratti of PSG. He would likely cost the most out of the following options, but I reckon we could get him for around forty million pounds. The midfielder stands at just 5 foot 5 inches which is quite small for someone in his position. That said, he has higher energy than Ramires, can pass better than Matic, and has the tenacity of Diego. At 22, years old he would be probably the best option, but prying him away from Paris would be a task.
Next, Grzegorz Krychowiak, the Sevilla midfielder is rumored to be available for around twenty-five million pounds. He is also a ball winning midfielder like Verrati and Matic, and can put in a tackle that could change a match. Again, he is a different alternative to Pogba, but would be a great player to have.
The last two are Blaise Matuidi and Luiz Gustavo. These two are older options, but would arguably be cheaper than the two above because of age. Many Chelsea fans like the prospect of Matuidi at Chelsea, and Chelsea have signed many players around the 29-30 age that have turned out to be legends. Players like Ballack and Makelele. Truthfully, any of these options would be a much needed upgrade on Ramires and Mikel.
Now, with Chelsea apparently having a thirty-seven million pound offer rejected for John Stones, they could be forced to look elsewhere. Thirty-seven million is a lot of money and a lot of names come into mind.
First, Raphael Varane. This is a controversial one because we have never had an official bid that comes to mind, so the valuation for him is kind of all over the place. If Chelsea were able to get him for around the price they were offering for Stones, or cheaper, it would be a great coupe. The partnership in the future of Kurt Zouma and he is mouthwatering to say the least.
Another frenchman that is young and could be a little bit cheaper is America Laporte from Athletic Bilbao. The defender is well known in La Liga and will rival Varane and Zouma in the future for a France national team starting spot. He would likely be around twenty-five million or maybe a bit higher. But just recently he has shown his class against Barcelona, allowing only one goal over one-hundred and eighty minutes.
Last but not least, we look at some Chelsea players. With an abundance of class and over twenty-five players on loan across Europe, Chelsea have one of the finest youth/loan classes in the world. But when it comes to center back, Tomas Kalas and Andreas Christensen have shown before they have the talent to compete for first team places. But the question remains, will Jose take the risk and give these guys a chance? Only time will tell.
Let us know in the comments below, should Chelsea spend big or are there lower money moves available?
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