Chelsea owner Roman Abrahamovich has always been known to be profligate in the transfer window, although it’s a sign of productive ambition as seen by many pundits. Steady growth of international fan base and constant inflow of Russian money, has allowed the club to challenge the European elites financially over the years. However, many have flawed their transfer policy and scouting system with several big money signings having failed in recent times, notably Fernando Torres.
Surprisingly, things seem to have taken a turn this year. With a tactical master mind in the form of Jose Mourinho and his able backroom staff, the failing fortunes of the club have been arrested to some extent. With stringent financial fair play guidelines to adhere to every year, the manager and his club achieved some of a miracle of sorts this summer, reportedly having managed a net profit of 8 million Euros, at the close of the transfer window. Something which seemed non-existent in the club’s dictionary yet so far! And that too, after having signed presumably the top two performers of the season so far, in Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa!
Surely it has been a success story of sorts for the club over the start of the 2013-14 campaign. Yet the work is still half done. Reports claim, the club is still bleeding through its enormous wage bill, coupled with its loan contributions for the incredible, 20 plus players loaned out. Coach Jose Mourinho will no doubt be pleased with the present financial conditions at the club, as it means the club’s coffers will fill up for the next campaign, when he can strengthen his team further. In addition, there is still some dead rubber in the team, eating into the club’s wage budget which he needs cleaned soon.
Let’s look at the three players that the club is looking to let go as early as January.
Petr Cech: Chelsea player of the year- check. Premier league golden glove of the year-check. Chelsea vice Captain-check. Whatever the English League could offer, the talismanic goalkeeper has been there, done that for the blue brigade. Yet, 9 seasons and more than 600 appearances later, Cech’s fortunes seem to have come to a standstill this summer. With a 6’8ft kid from Belgium, rated to be amongst the best goalkeepers of the times, as his potent successor, Peter Cech’s reign in between the Chelsea sticks looks more than challenged at the moment. At the age of 32, however, the Czech Republic man is in no mood to play second fiddle in any club. Peter has voiced his discontent in being kept in the wings while Thibaut Courtois, clearly seems Jose Mourinho’s first choice. In the present conditions, a change of club seems the best possible solution for both the club and player. Arsenal and even Real Madrid are rumored to be among the suitors for the 32 year old, in the January transfer window.
Mohammed Salah: Many of us have seen very little of the diminutive right winger from Egypt. In fact, most people may recollect a few dazzling displays from Salah in the Uefa Champions League AGAINST his present club, Chelsea. The wingman from FC Basel made a big money move to the London club early last summer, with Jose Mourinho, very vocal about his admiration for the player. Yet, not surprisingly, Salah has failed to nail down a starting place over the last year, mainly due to his inability to adapt to the feisty nature of the premier league, as well as the competition for places at Chelsea as many expected. His brief stay has also been plagued with injuries and lack of match fitness. Mourinho had clearly hoped to utilize his pace and positioning skills as an inside forward in the team, but the player has failed to deliver until now. With his career being stalled presently, the Egyptian may be looking elsewhere, preferably a reunion with his old club, who are rumored to be interested in signing. And as for Chelsea, they may be looking to sell the wingman as early as winter, before his market value plummets.
Andre Schurrle: Surprisingly, the story of this young German at the club is one of a fall from grace. Signed at a reported fee of 20million euros, the 24 year old had been used sparingly by the manager in the previous campaign, mostly as young players from different leagues need time to adapt to the premier league conditions. In fact, his brief displays had been wrought with a lot of promise last season, with the manager pleased with Schurrle’s ability to beat the offside trap and flexibility in position. The former Bayern Leverkusen man was used by Jose as a super sub for most of last season, mostly to make amends for Torres’s poor showings. Yet, just when the manager thought of giving him a bigger role in the starting lineup, Andre failed. From being a regular at the start of the season, the German has received a lot of negative criticism from the manager, clearly unhappy with the player’s lack of desire and poor teamwork. Mourinho has been quick to call on the services of Brazilian winger, Willian in place of Schurrle who provides a much more physical presence to the Chelsea front line. Clearly it’s evident that Schurrle is not ready to the physicalities of the Premier League, as Jose thinks. However with his market value still above 20 million, and their reported interest in Marco Reus, the London club may be eager to cash in on the left winger, with Liverpool and Dortmund more than interested at this time.
