Chelsea: Salomon Rondon the latest punchline to become a transfer rumour
By George Perry
The Chelsea transfer rumour mill is doing the Salomon Rondon thing again. This would be a ridiculous prospect, even if Chelsea did not already have a solid depth chart at striker.
Origin stories are all the rage these days. Avengers, Star Wars, Justice League… everyone wants to know where every hero, villain and side character came from. Players in Chelsea’s transfer rumour mill also have origin stories and, like those movie franchises, they ultimately break down to a few standard plots.
The two most common origin stories for supposed transfer prospects are the fever dream and the joke. A few fans are bantering on Twitter about how great it would be if Robert Lewandowski and Lorenzo Insigne were united under Maurizio Sarri at Stamford Bridge. By the end of the week, Chelsea are preparing a nine-figure bid for Lewandowski and are dickering over Sarri’s release clause so he can bring Insigne with him from Napoli.
Salomon Rondon belongs in the latter category. After the rumour mill cycles through all the fever dream players, and some mildly credible rumours link the Blues to Andy Carroll and Peter Crouch, anything seems possible. Anything. Exasperated fans respond in the dankest way possible. “Why not just sign Salomon Rondon and get it over with amirite?” And before you know it – maybe in January, maybe in June – mildly credible sources link Chelsea to Salomon Rondon.
Chelsea simply do not need a striker, let alone a 28-year old from West Bromwich Albion whose highest-scoring season was 14 goals for Malaga in 2010/11. Not that anybody – particularly a striker – would look their best at West Brom over the last two seasons. But Rondon does not have the minimum performance record for a Chelsea look-in.
More importantly, the Blues have everyone they need. Alvaro Morata – contrary to other equally vapid rumours – is not leaving this summer. Like many players, including a few teammates, his first Premier League season was a difficult but necessary journey towards delivering on his promise in the second season. Olivier Giroud is already a proven Premier League goal-scorer, particularly as a substitute or in a high-possession system
Behind these two, the Blues should be welcoming Michy Batshuayi and Tammy Abraham home from the loan army. Batshuayi had his season and a half of extremely impactful short appearances before becoming one of Borussia Dortmund’s most important players. He is on track with his recovery to feature in the World Cup. And Abraham has one season of Premier League football to his name. He is Morata’s junior in most every respect, but they are equal in their exposure to the top flight of the English game.
The Blues could still bobble Batshuayi’s and Abraham’s development with another loan, or just end things altogether with a sale. If they did, they still would not turn to Rondon.
Most of the players who Chelsea end up signing have an origin story of their own. They spring forth from nothing, arriving at Stamford Bridge as a transfer ex machina. Marcos Alonso, David Luiz, Michy Batshuayi, Willy Caballero and Davide Zappacosta skipped over the rumour mill and went right to taking a picture shaking hands with Michael Emenalo. Alvaro Morata and Ross Barkley arrived long after their transfer rumours had crested. Players like Tiemoue Bakayoko are the exception, progressing smoothly from credible rumours to done deal.
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Chelsea have done nothing so far this transfer window. Not having an owner in the country or a technical director on the job has its consequences. Before the summer is over, they will surely make some questionable transfer decisions. Salomon Rondon will not be among them. It is his destiny.