How Chelsea could spend their €100m: a midfield genius and some added attacking power for Mou’s Blues?
Rafa Benitez has this week revealed that he expects Chelsea to spend a whopping €100m in the summer, so how exactly will the Blues go about it? We reckon there could be a few big names on the way. Check out our pick for Chelsea's €100m superstar summer trio below...
Name: Xabi Alonso
Position: Midfielder
Age: 31
Cost: €20m
Xabi Alonso may insist otherwise, but failing to sign a new Real Madrid deal, with his current contract due to expire next summer, suggests he's angling for a move elsewhere in the hope that the Spanish giants will cash in before the midfielder can walk for free. Alonso is known to be a staunch supporter of Jose Mourinho behind the scenes at the Bernabeu, and is a key piece in his system with Madrid, so it wouldn't be a huge surprise to see him swap Spain for Stamford Bridge next season, helping Mourinho to usher in his new era and new ideas with the Blues. The Spaniard could be a brilliant partner for David Luiz in a deep midfield pair. Admittedly, at 31, Alonso is significantly older than the majority of Chelsea's signings in recent years, but his game has never been about pace, and as Paul Scholes proved at Manchester United for years, if your brain is sharper than the opposition, then the ball moves one step quicker so your legs don't have to.
Name: Radamel Falcao
Position: Centreforward
Age: 27
Cost: €60m
If you pay top money, you get the best, and Radamel Falcao is unrivalled in his position. The Colombian is absolutely lethal in the box, and would be a dream striker for Mou's Blues, considering he currently excels in a counter-attacking system at Atletico Madrid that is not too dissimilar to the type of football Jose favours. El Tigre played down speculation linking him with Monaco this week, but what is clear is that he'll have plenty of suitors this summer, so Chelsea may have to pay his €60m buyout clause to ensure he's theirs. Roman Abramovich is a known admirer of the striker, and he'd be a significant upgrade over Fernando Torres.
Name: Andre Schurrle
Position: Forward
Age: 22
Cost: €20m
One player that Chelsea look certain to sign is Bayer Leverkusen's Andre Schurrle, with a deal thought to have been agreed between the player and the Blues for weeks. It's thought that the German will cost Chelsea around €20m, which, when combined with our estimated fees for Alonso and Falcao, is just above the €100m Benitez mentioned. Schurrle could be used as relief for Falcao in the middle, or, as a wide forward at the same time as the Colombian, providing cover for both Juan Mata and Eden Hazard, and an extra option for breaking down opponents.
How would they line up?
Should Jose Mourinho be in charge at Stamford Bridge next season as expected, he's likely to adopt the same 4-2-3-1 formation as he currently uses at the Bernabeu. Radamel Falcao slots in easily as his centreforward, while Eden Hazard, Oscar and Juan Mata would complete an attacking three behind him. In the defensive midfield positions, the energy and aggression of David Luiz would provide an ideal partner for the more contemplative Xabi Alonso, with the Spaniard spreading play to the array of attacking talent in front of him. Chelsea's back four is likely to be largely unchanged, with John Terry, Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic competing for the central positions, and Cesar Azpilicueta and Ashley Cole playing at fullback. The ever reliable Petr Cech isn't going anywhere, either.
On the bench, Chelsea can take their pick from a wealth of resources. Take for example, Ramires, Schurrle, a newly fit Oriol Romeu, Frank Lampard, Victor Moses and Michael Essien, who will return from loan. Then there's the prospect of Romelu Lukaku coming back from West Brom, as well as Demba Ba providing more cover up front. Perhaps the biggest question is whether Fernando Torres will still be at the Bridge to fight for his place, or if the arrival of someone like Falcao could drive him out.
Blues fans, how do you like the look of our team? Let us know below...