Chelsea have lined up their new right-back, apparently.
Jose Mourinho’s rumoured quest for a new right-back continues with reports stating that Dani Carvajal is on Chelsea FC’s radar. The Real Madrid star is a target as the Blues attempt to increase their strength in the full-back positions.
Tutto Mercato Web (via The Independent) is the source spreading the rumour this time around, with Chelsea lining up the Spaniard as a marquee signing to bring in during the winter transfer window.
Chelsea are reportedly willing to fork out around £14million for Carvajal although it may well just be a sounding-out offer to gauge Real Madrid’s appetite to do business.
"The Blues are expected to make an offer in the region of £14million for the full-back, although given his position in the squad and remaining contract length a higher offer will more than likely be needed."
A Real academy product, the 23-year-old spent a season away at Bayer Leverkusen where he impressed enough for the footballing giants to exercise his buy-back option in the summer of 2013.
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He has subsequently made over 40 competitive appearances in each of the last two seasons and has become an integral part of the Real set-up. However, club president Florentino Perez brought in Danilo over the summer and Carvajal’s starting position is under real threat.
As a result, Chelsea may be able to tempt him away from the Santiago Bernabeu with a guarantee of first-team football at Stamford Bridge.
However, this rumour (as is the case with all of them) should be treated with trepidation. Mourinho has directly addressed the allegations that Branislav Ivanovic’s poor form has forced him to look for a new right-back. Speaking ahead of the Arsenal clash, the Portuguese manager ridiculed them.
"When bad things in football happen, the first thing is to find a dramatic story…Mourinho doesn’t want to give new contracts to Terry and [Branislav] Ivanovic. Mourinho instructs the scouts to find a new right-back urgently. (via The Guardian)"
Having said that, Ivanovic is in the last year of his contract and his renewal will be heavily debated. Furthermore, even if he were to stay for another year, he is too old to be playing week in, week out to a high standard anyway.
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As previously mentioned, though, Carvajal’s price tag will most likely be significantly more than £14m. The Spaniard signed a five-year contract extension only this summer and that fact, coupled with his tender age and potential, means that Chelsea will have to dish out a fee closer to the £25million mark for his services.
Nonetheless, Carvajal does represent a good investment and Blues fans are owed one after a failure to appropriately address full-back issues over the summer. Abdul Baba Rahman was brought in and indeed does look like a good purchase, but the full-back roles are still alarmingly thin.
What do you guys think? Do Chelsea need Carvajal? Will he be a Blues player come February 2016? Let us know in the comments below!
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