Chelsea FC are apparently on the verge of signing Jose Callejon, claims The Express. The former Real Madrid player currently plies his trade with Napoli and has been the subject of much transfer speculation so far this summer.
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Callejon joined his current side in the summer of 2013 on a four-year deal for a fee reportedly around €10million. Previously he was at Real Madrid, where he scored 20 goals in 77 competitive appearances over two seasons. However, with the wealth of talent at the Madrid-based club, he was seen as expendable and was thus moved on.
The forward has continued performing at a high standard in the two campaigns since the move, netting 26 times in 75 league appearances while breaking the 100 competitive appearance mark for the club.
The 28-year-old is incredibly versatile, and has been used in a variety of roles ranging from winger to striker during his career, a trait that can be incredibly helpful to the Blues.
Perhaps more interesting, though, is his relationship with Jose Mourinho. Callejon came through the youth ranks at Real, but was let go before debuting for the senior team. After three years at Espanyol, Mourinho brought the youngster back and afforded him all the playing time that he received at the Santiago Bernabeu. Once Carlo Ancelotti replaced Mourinho, Callejon was offloaded again.
With this background it is unlikely that negotiating personal terms with the player will be difficult for the Blues. Furthermore, Callejon is valued at around £10million, even though he has three years left to run on his current deal. As he is in the supposed prime of his career, such a fee seems like a bit of a bargain. With the £20m+ valued players that Chelsea are consistently linked with, this could be a hidden gem should he be signed.
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However, whether Mourinho actually bids for him is the real question. All of his talk at press conferences has been about a one-in, one-out transfer policy, that he will only bring in new players to replace out-going ones. He even specifically addressed acquiring a new midfielder/winger by saying that he has “six midfield players” and thus doesn’t want another one.
This may very well be a bluff from the boss, but given his whole ‘build for the future’ mantra that he has been preaching since his return, if Jose does invest in a midfielder, it probably won’t be a 28-year-old one.
Nevertheless, it’s always good to dream…or something…
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