Transfer Watch: Marcelo Brozovic would strengthen Chelsea’s midfield
Chelsea’s transfer activity leaves much to be desired, but at least it is not as depressing as last year. Marcelo Brozovic is one of the players that Antonio Conte may bring in as reinforcement for the long season ahead.
Inter Milan and Croatia midfielder Marcelo Brozovic is a late-comer to Chelsea’s transfer rumour mill. In the last few days, Brozovic went from being a relative unknown to a £21 million transfer awaiting the final details.
The Brozovic news comes at a very tricky time for Chelsea. A Brozovic signing directly threatens Cesc Fabregas’s place with the Blues. And this despite his Instagram post where he squashed rumours of him moving out of Chelsea.
Chelsea’s first three matches under Conte showed that the Blues will play with pace, high agility and intensity. Whether Chelsea dominates the match or not, they will move the ball fast and try to regain possession as quickly as possible.
For an agile team, the manager requires players who can run. Regardless of their individual talents (they can’t all be N’Golo Kante), every squad member must be able to run up and down the pitch. The current crop of players have bought into Conte’s high octane football and the results are positive.
Brozovic is just such a runner. He can bring the ball out from deep positions, and also has a natural defensive ability to make tackles and interceptions.
He would be in Conte’s good books only for the fact that he can run. But the Croatian is also a versatile midfielder. He can play in central and right midfield positions, where he primarily plays at Inter Milan.
Antonio Conte has used the 4-1-4-1 so far this season. Brozovic has the tools to easily slot into the front attacking four. In the 2015/16 season, he created 49 chances with average an passing accuracy of 82%. His passes can cut defences, setting him up for connective play with Eden Hazard or Oscar.
Brozovic can also fit in Conte’s contingency of a 4-4-2 when under pressure. He has been playing in deep midfield positions for Inter Milan. His familiarity with this position in Serie A should help him adapt at a similar occupation for Antonio Conte at Chelsea.
In the match against Burnley, Conte resorted to the supposedly overused 4-2-3-1. The results spoke for themselves. With Brozovic’s defensive abilities, Conte could easily deploy him as a defensive midfielder alongside Nemanja Matic or N’Golo Kante.
With only four goals in the previous season, Brozovic will not be on the scoresheet everyday. But his balance in attacking and defensive duties will be a great influence on the pitch.
His limited number of goals can be attributed to his playing in a deep position at Inter Milan. If he is a part of Chelsea’s attacking midfield four, he could easily develop his scoring touch.
Next: Marcos Alonso offers Chelsea flexibility for Chelsea's backline
Although Chelsea’s urgent need of the hour is a defender, the addition of an agile and versatile midfielder will benefit the team in the long run. Marcelo Brozovic may not be the flashiest name, but he fits the bill quite efficiently.