Serbian defender Neven Subotic has been hunting for a new club since the spring. Can he be the solution to Chelsea’s backline deficiencies?
Chelsea’s defense is the weakest part of the team, and the fear of another shelling like last season should scare the Chelsea FC front office into action. Unfortunately, Michael Emenalo’s transfer season-long slumber continues.
Borussia Dortmund permitted Serbian defender Neven Subotic to meet with other clubs per his request at the end of last season. At 27, he is at the right point in his career to make a switch, and has said that he thinks the Premier League is the right place for him.
"I’ve got to be honest and say that the English Premier League is very suitable for my way of playing football…The intensity and the physical nature of the game are very attractive for me. – ESPN FC"
Last season Chelsea FC endured their worst defensive year in over a decade. Strong Chelsea squads for years have been built on rock-solid defenses. This will never change – it is the club’s tradition, character and culture. Even though a new striker would be a useful addition, a strong center-half is essential to lead the club into their new age.
Neven Subotic has the potential to be that defender. Standing at 6’3’’ and 27 years old, he is in his prime. With the majority of Chelsea’s defense on the wrong side of 30 (Terry, Cahill and Ivanovic) a player at his age is precisely what the club needs.
At 27, Subotic will be around long enough to usher in the new generation of Kurt Zouma, Andreas Christensen, Jake Clarke-Salter and Fikayo Tomori without standing in the door to block their growth. He is exceptional on the ball but also adept as a sweeper. He has been among Borussia Dortmund‘s leaders in aerials won over the last several seasons. He has the complete skill set to join the eventual three-man backline that Conte will likely implement.
Neven Subotic has two more years left on his contract, and has already indicated to Dortmund that he will not be re-signing. Borussia Dortmund is eager to get him off the books, as he is surplus to Thomas Tuchel’s requirements. Chelsea has more leverage and less competition for Subotic’s signature now than they will in two years.
These timing and negotiation characteristics are more important than ever in this era of incredibly inflated transfer fees. Michael Emenalo cannot afford to miss another opportunity to acquire a player at a reasonable price, only to get caught in a bid war two years later.
Neven Subotic fits Chelsea’s needs and would be a solid investment for the club. Subotic could would fill several of John Terry’s capacities on and off the pitch. A four-year contract would take Subotic and the club to the perfect position to allow the youth to step forward and for Subotic to bridge that generational gap.
Roman Abramovich’s wealth is no longer a unique value proposition given the general wealth of the Premier League. Chelsea need to be paying more attention to players such Neven Subotic as they move forward. Chelsea’s alternative is to continue down this course of wasting gross sums of money paying inflated transfer fees on players they already owned.