Wesley Sneijder to Chelsea? In 2010 maybe, but the Blues can do better these days

In the aftermath of Jose Mourinho's return to Chelsea, the rumour mill is busy cranking out names that could be reunited with him at Stamford Bridge.

Included on that list is , who only joined Galatasaray in January and famously won the treble under Mou at Inter. So will the Dutchman be meeting up with his old boss at Stamford Bridge? We're not convinced. Here's why...

Having won the Europa League and finished third in the Premier League, Chelsea have the strong foundations of a team capable of pushing on next season, so although strengthening is required for the Blues, it's strengthening in key areas where they are currently lacking that they need.

Looking at the way the Blues regularly lined up last season, there are already three players capable of playing in Sneijder's position, in the number ten role behind the striker. Juan Mata, Chelsea's best player in 2012/13 by quite some distance, is equally happy playing in the middle or on the wing, while Brazilian talent Oscar is deadly in the middle, and is only going to get better in his second season at the Bridge. Eden Hazard, meanwhile, can also provide a useful option in the central role.

Why would Chelsea sign Sneijder for one of the positions on the pitch that they have covered better than arguably any other? It just doesn't make sense.

If he was a significant upgrade on the aforementioned trio, then maybe we could be convinced. That isn't the case, however. Yes, the Sneijder of 2010, who lifted the treble with Inter, guided Holland to the World Cup final and was easily the best playmaker on the continent that year, would walk into any team and be capable of competing with the best. That Sneijder no longer exists.

You need only look at the stats from his latter years with Inter for proof. While in the 2009/10 season he created 16 goals and scored eight in 41 appearances, but in the last two seasons his numbers are far less impressive. Over 28 games in 2011/12, he assisted six and scored five, significantly less than in his peak year.

In his last season at Inter, his numbers are even worse. Sneijder was only handed eight appearances for Inter in the first half of 2012/13, and though he created three and scored two, only one of each came in the league, while the rest were in the Europa League. Those are hardly groundbreaking numbers, and certainly not ones that would force players of Mata, Hazard or Oscar's quality out of the way, so it's easy to see why Inter sold him in the first place.

Then there's the fact that Sneijder was unable to find a club in one of Europe's top leagues when he left Italy in January. With all due respect to Galatasaray, considering Sneijder was once linked with clubs competing for Champions League trophies, moving to the Turkish league was an indicator of where he now stands among the people making decisions at top clubs. We need only listen to the player himself for proof of that. “Why did I not join one of the top five clubs in Europe? Because I am no longer one of the top five players around.”, he told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf following his move to Turkey. That says it all.

Video
It's unlikely Sneijder will ever display this kind of form again, so why would Chelsea spend significant money to bring him to the Bridge?

With the ambitions they harbour, Chelsea will certainly be looking to sign players that are among the top five in Europe in their position and won't be looking for signings based on former glories. On this occasion, we expect Jose Mourinho to put old friendships aside, as he will want to hit the ground running at Stamford Bridge with so much expectation on his shoulders the second time around. Sneijder to Chelsea? In 2010 it would have been a smart move, but these days, we're not convinced.

Chelsea fans, do you agree? Do Chelsea already have better players in Sneijder's position? Let us know below...