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Chelsea chasing £40 million Danny Drinkwater while Blaise Matuidi leaves for peanuts

By Ajitesh Rasgotra

PARIS, FRANCE - OCTOBER 19: Serey Die and Taulant Xhaka of Basel battles for the ball with Blaise Matuidi of PSG during the Group A, UEFA Champions League match between Paris Saint-Germain Football Club and Fussball Club Basel 1893 at Parc des Princes on October 19, 2016 in Paris, France. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
PARIS, FRANCE - OCTOBER 19: Serey Die and Taulant Xhaka of Basel battles for the ball with Blaise Matuidi of PSG during the Group A, UEFA Champions League match between Paris Saint-Germain Football Club and Fussball Club Basel 1893 at Parc des Princes on October 19, 2016 in Paris, France. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images) /
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Chelsea fans are looking on in bemusement as Blaise Matuidi joins Juventus for under £20 million. Danny Drinkwater, meanwhile, is set to cost £40 million.

Chelsea fans are probably going to spend a portion of this week wondering why their club did not make a move for Blaise Matuidi. Juventus have just signed the highly-rated midfielder for around £18 million. The Blues, meanwhile, are chasing Danny Drinkwater and Leicester City reportedly want £40 million for him.

"Drinkwater is interested in a move to Stamford Bridge, but Leicester value the £27-year-old at £40m – the same fee Chelsea received for Matic from Manchester United. – The Telegraph"

There are a number of reasons why Chelsea may not have been interested in Matuidi at the start of the summer. However, as of two weeks ago, all those reasons are rendered invalid.

Recent reports claim that Blues officials are unwilling to sign old players. They prefer younger talent that have resale value. With the injuries, sales and suspensions, Chelsea should have ditched that policy at the start of August.

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Meanwhile, the club also have a policy of only handing out one-year contracts to players over 30. Again, with the desperate situation, they should have waived that restriction.

This is especially true given how cheap Matuidi was on the market for. In the current environment, the deal for Matuidi is a bargain on a criminal scale. Juventus have signed a top European player for a minimal price.

Chelsea’s stubbornness leave them chasing a fairly mediocre midfielder for over the double the price. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that any deal will be struck.

This is just another example of how Chelsea have fumbled the ball throughout the summer. Some may claim that they have spent money. This cannot be disputed. However, they have also loaned out and sold players without paying attention to the gaping holes in the squad.

Antonio Conte has a bare-bones selection of players for this weekend’s clash with Tottenham. Worryingly, the Blues don’t appear close to doing any deals to add depth.

The Blues haven’t been strongly linked with Matuidi over the summer. The question now, though, is why not? Especially over the last fortnight, the management team should have been scouring Europe for potential deals to make. Given that Juventus have paid so little, PSG must have indicated he was for sale.

Next: Pick your Chelsea starting XI for huge clash with Tottenham

Chelsea fans should try to remain optimistic for the moment. But a poor result at Wembley on Sunday could be the tipping point.

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