Chelsea will face their transfer windows past with Mata, Matic, Lukaku at Man U
By George Perry
Chelsea are one of only three Premier League clubs to have sold two players to Manchester United over the last decade. Both players – plus Romelu Lukaku – will play a major role against their former team today.
Chelsea are rarely one for the conventional wisdom. While most people would say you should not sell players to a major rival, Chelsea seem quite alright doing so. In fact, they will even go so far as selling a player to a vindictive former manager now at that rival, one trying to assemble a squad of his personal favourites.
Chelsea, Everton and Southampton are the only Premier League clubs to sell two players to Manchester United since 2007. The Blues will see Juan Mata and Nemanja Matic in red (or that really drab grey) at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. They will also face ex-Blue Romelu Lukaku, one of the two players that Everton sold to Old Trafford.
Manchester United at least made it financially respectable for the Blues to sell. £79 million transferred from Old Trafford to Stamford Bridge on Mata’s and Matic’s sale, the most Chelsea have made on transfers from any single club in the past decade. Only Everton and Juventus have enriched themselves more via Ed Woodward’s loose chequebook.
The current crop of Blues will have to particular attention to the former Chelsea men. The most even match-up will be Juan Mata on United’s right wing taking on Chelsea’s left. Unlike recent opponents, Mata will not threaten Marcos Alonso and Gary Cahill with speed. Mata and Alonso will be in a battle of pure footballing technique and acumen, which could make for a brilliant demonstration between the Spaniards.
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Chelsea should know Nemanja Matic’s vulnerabilities as much as they know his strengths. Matic will challenge Chelsea for the ball and for space in midfield. If the Blues can quickly shut him down when he has the ball, and force him to dribble out of trouble or make an errant pass, they can quickly regain possession and launch a counter from midfield.
Romelu Lukaku is obviously the greatest threat. He has every attribute Chelsea’s defence cannot handle. The Blues may be tempted to man-mark him, but they would not be able to take him out of the game. He is too powerful, and doing so would create too much space for Marcus Rashford to work in the box or for Henrik Mkhitaryan to attack from distance. Their best option may be to isolate him from any service and be extra vigilant to not allow him any loose balls in the six-yard box.
If Chelsea fall to Manchester United, these transfers will share some of the scrutiny. Juan Mata is one of the most beloved players of his generation, not just at Chelsea but worldwide (he is a near-perfect person). Romelu Lukaku is becoming one of the most dangerous strikers in the game, while Chelsea’s striker situation is still unsettled. And Nemanja Matic did not have much future under Antonio Conte, but plays his outright best under Jose Mourinho.
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And still, and yet, Chelsea made all those sales. £79 million (plus whatever pittance they sold Lukaku to Everton for without the buyback on sell-on clauses) sometimes seems like not much money at all.