With the transfer rumor mill now in full swing, Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Chelsea FC is the latest hot piece of news to be circulating around the tabloids. The legendary figure would be a welcome sight for football fans across England while the prospect of him playing in London under Jose Mourinho would whet any Chelsea fan’s appetite.
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Seeing the Swedish legend play for Chelsea would be akin to a science experiment. This is especially true after he called all of the Chelsea squad ‘babies’ following the Champions League matchup that pitted the Blues against Paris Saint Germain. The flashpoint was Zlatan’s controversial red card at Stamford Bridge, one that many argued over for weeks to come. While this second-leg match did end up seeing PSG knock Chelsea out on away goals, Zlatan nevertheless called the Chelsea players ‘babies’ for the way they ran over to pressure the referee into sending off the big Swede.
After the incident, the idea of Zlatan eventually plying his trade in West London became unfeasible. He would have to take a pretty hefty pay cut to fit into the Blues roster, where he would likely be a backup considering how impressive the starting forwards have been for Chelsea over the last season. Diego Costa and Eden Hazard have been almost superhuman. Couple this with the animosity that brewed during the European tie, and it just didn’t seem possible.
the effects of having Zlatan can be both positive and negative
However, in an intriguing turn of events some reports have claimed that Ibrahimovic would be willing to join Chelsea if he were offered £7 million a year. Despite appearing like a monumental some of money, it is both less than his current deal at PSG as well as being less than what the current top players at the club are earning. All of a sudden, this almost pipe dream has become a very real prospect.
The tall, outspoken striker is well-travelled and has played for a number of teams in multiple countries. His
bright
eccentric personality shines through no matter what team he is on and there is no disputing that he is a bona fide crowd-drawer. The goals he scores are often incredible and seemingly impossible as he uses karate-like leg moves to bury the ball into the back of the net. He is literally a human highlight reel, as this clip can be testament to:
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I wouldn’t mind celbrating those types of wonderful goals as a Chelsea fan. However, while his ability to spark fans and a team into a frenzy are irrefutable, the effects of having Zlatan can be both positive and negative.
He often causes locker room tension, an issue that can be terminal for a squad looking to win multiple trophies. Preventing such internal fragility is a key aspect of being a manager and it must be taken into account when bringing in new players.
Fortunately, it seems evident that Jose is keen to preserve squad harmony and I do not believe that he would bring in a player unless he was sure that he would fit into the system. Unless Zlatan can change the locker room for the better he will not be entering Stamford Bridge as a Blue anytime soon.
Meanwhile, a decision to leave Paris is unlikely to be made in the near future as these big rumors have a tendency to stick around for the summer. Further to that, a player this polarizing will carry rumors with him wherever he goes.
So over to you Chelsea fans. Do you reckon that this talk will materialise? With the likes of Christian Benteke also supposedly closing in on a move to the Bridge, who would you prefer? Let us know in the comments!
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