File this rumor under “sounds strange at first, but makes sense the more you think about it” but Chelsea FC have been linked to FC Barcelona midfielder Alex Song. The Cameroonian midfielder spent the 2014-15 season on loan at West Ham where he has played well but has seen his form drop off in recent months.
Song’s dip in form has coincided with West Ham’s struggles so perhaps the two are more related than it appears because of how influential he was in the first half of the season.
The rumors and several reports contend that Chelsea FC and Manchester City are chasing the midfielder because he qualifies as a home-grown player under the new rules from the FA. Under these new rules, a player must play for a club in the United Kingdom for three years before his 21st birthday in order to fall under that category and not be considered “foreign”.
Alex Song was born in Cameroon and grew up in France but made the move from SC Bastia to Arsenal on loan in 2005 and the following summer the move was made permanent. He spent exactly three years with the club before he turned 21 and easily qualifies under the new regulations.
Song went on to spend seven years at Arsenal before moving to Barcelona in 2012 for a fee of £15 million. He struggled to find a place at Barcelona and is rumored to be available for just £6 million, a bargain for a home-grown player of his caliber.
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So besides the fact that he is home-grown, Song is a gifted central midfielder who has played at the highest level of the game. He is vastly experienced in the Premier League and in European competitions and is most comfortable playing as part of a midfield two ahead of the defense.
If the Blues do sign him, then he will come in and provide excellent depth behind Nemanja Matic as a holding midfielder, a position that Chelsea FC have been light at this season. Jose Mourinho was even forced to use centerback Kurt Zouma in the role as a placeholder.
Chelsea fans may be hoping that the Blues will spend big money on a player like Paul Pogba to play in central midfield and Song is not the same sort of “splash” signing but he would represent a good bit of business.
For just £6m, Chelsea could sign an experienced Premier League campaigner who is retired from international football so he can focus on his club career. There is also the added bonus of signing another former Arsenal stalwart. If he is available then the Blues should do all they can, short of overpaying, to bring him in to the squad.
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