Chelsea will only lose in Alvaro Morata – Gianluigi Donnarumma swap
By George Perry
Chelsea’s repetitive transfer rumour mill is back for another cycle. Selling Alvaro Morata or buying Gianluigi Donnarumma are both counterproductive, and swapping them is even worse.
Billy Ray Valentine (Capricorn) figured out the game quickly enough. He knew what to call someone who gets a nice cut on a deal regardless of outcome: a bookie. Chelsea need to see as clearly when it comes to Mino Raiola. When a club sells one of his players, he gets a cut. When a club buys one of his players, he gets a cut. If that player underperforms on either side of the deal, he still gets his cut.
Yes, that is the business model for every agent. But Raiola is the ultimate deal hustler. His players are constantly in motion, as every transfer is another fee. Perhaps this is why he and Jose Mourinho get along so well: They’re not there for a long time, and they’re barely there for a good time. Raiola loves a three-year cycle, and Mourinho lives it.
Signing Gianluigi Donnarumma under any circumstances would be a risky endeavor. His hype sped ahead of his development. He underperformed last season at AC Milan based on what everyone was told he was capable of. But he may have just performed like a 19-year old thrust too early into the starting spot. His sparring with the fans was unfortunate and unnecessary, but could be youthful indiscretion if he learns from it.
If Chelsea did not already have several talented young goalkeepers, like the recently loaned Jamal Blackman and Marcin Bulka, they could maybe take a flyer on trying to develop Donnarumma. But Raiola’s presence means they would not make any progress towards that goal. Raiola would interfere with anything Chelsea tried to structure for Donnarumma’s development and career path. After two unhappy and unsatisfying years, he would put Donnarumma back on the market and Chelsea would be back to where they are right now.
Signing Donnarumma via Raiola is would be the second-most short-sighted thing Chelsea could do this summer. Alvaro Morata trading places with Gianluigi Donnarumma tops the list. Alvaro Morata, like his fellow class of 2017/18 arrivals, needed his first year in the Premier League to adapt. He started strong, struggled with injuries and found consistency if not high levels of performance down the stretch. He is now fit, acclimated and ready for the second year.
Swapping Morata for Donnarumma would mean Chelsea would be without a striker in his mid-20s and without a starting goalkeeper in two years. Michy Batshuayi and Tammy Abraham will be capable starters by then, but neither will have the top-flight experience Morata has and will build upon with additional seasons at Chelsea.
The only striker in Chelsea’s rumour mill is Gonzalo Higuain. Assuming he is capable of playing Maurizio Sarri’s brand of football this season, he certainly will not be able to do so in two years.
Chelsea’s options to replace Thibaut Courtois are worsening by the day. Joe Hart made his first appearance in the rumours on Saturday morning. It’s come to that.
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But even the fear of hearing someone say “Chelsea starter Joe Hart” should not induce someone to think selling Alvaro Morata, buying Gianluigi Donnarumma or dealing with Mino Raiola is worth it. All three are bad ideas. Combining them simply produces one big ball of bad idea.