With Oscar hitting a dip in form and Cesc Fabregas going through his notorious winter holiday in the Premier League, questions have begun to be raised about the Blue’s midfield. Nemanja Matic has been an ever present figure in the pivot of Chelsea’s midfield this season, yet they have struggled to find a suitable partner for the Serbian. Since joining from Barcelona, Fabregas has featured heavily alongside Matic and has picked up sixteen assists so far this season. However the Spaniard has at times struggled in games, with his defensive work looking unnatural and uncomfortable.
As well as Fabregas, Mourinho has experimented with Oscar in a deeper role and more recently Ramires. Since the returning from injury, Ramires has featured heavily alongside Matic. Which answered calls from many to move Fabregas forward into a more advanced role. Most notably, Chelsea recently struggled to contain a PSG midfield which contained the tenacious Marco Verratti and powerhouse midfielder Thiago Motta and were knocked out of the Champions League.
With the season reaching its climax, one eye is slowly being turned to potential in’s and out’s that may happen over the course of the summer. Despite Jose Mourinho revealing this week he expects a ‘quiet summer’, Chelsea are continuously linked with some of the biggest names across the world. Paul Pogba is one name that has been consistently linked with Chelsea, amongst other top European teams. A move for the Frenchman looks unlikely with Juventus unwillingly to sell and financial fair play looming over any transfer movement.
Mourinho has also confirmed recently that Ruben Loftus-Cheek will feature and fight for a spot in the first team next season. Is he the answer to Chelsea’s midfield issues? In the long term, yes he could well be. Loftus-Cheek possess immense potential and has been tipped by many to succeed at Stamford Bridge, including by Jose Mourinho himself. For the moment though, he is an uncut diamond that is waiting to development.
After watching our last home game against Southampton, I saw the Saints boast a very impressive and balanced midfield. Something that is hugely thanks to their French midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin. Between himself and Victor Wanyama, the pair controlled the game at times for the Saints. Schneiderlin showed tenacious defence qualities, in a similar nature to that of Nemanja Matic. As well as this, he showed he was more than capable of getting forward and joining the attack.
So far this season the twenty five year old has scored four goals in all competitions and boasts an impressive 89% pass success ratio, which is higher than Matic, Oscar and Cesc Fabgregas. Just one of many factors into why a move for the Frenchman would be sensible as well as money well spent for the Blues.
Despite looking increasingly unlikely, should Chelsea choose to pursue Pogba he would inevitably need time to settle to life in England and the Premier League. Whereas Morgan Schneiderlin already fits the mould of a Premier League midfielder, now playing in his third year in the Premier League with Southampton. It has been reported that the midfielder could be available come the end of the season, Schneiderlin was one of few survivors of last season’s ‘exodus’ at Southampton. Despite going public with his ambitions to leave the club. Southampton may choose to now cash in on the Frenchman, with a price rumoured to be around £15-25 million. By no means is this a cheap deal, but it would be a fraction of the price that it would cost to bring in for example, Paul Pogba. Who is rumoured to be valued near £60 million.
A partnership between him and Nemanja Matic, could allow the pair to flourish and improve. At times this season the Blues have been over reliant on Matic defensively, with the likes of Fabregas and Ramires always looking like they have a mistake in them defensively. As well as this he has proved he can be an attacking threat. His defensive prowess would enable Nemanja Matic to express himself further in the final third, Chelsea are known for scoring goals for a variety of positions, this would only aid that.
Teams such as Arsenal and Manchester United are thought to be interested in the player, as well as a fantastic season so far for the Saints, Schneiderlin has shown he can make the step up. The prospect of a Schneiderlin and Matic pairing may not set the world alight more many Chelsea fans because he is by no means a ‘galatico’ name. He may not be one of the most talked about players across Europe, but since joining Southampton in 2008 he has guided his team from League One to challenging for a place in the top four. He has grown into a leading and in demand Premier League footballer.
What do you think? Who would you like to see in Chelsea’s midfield instead? Let us know your thoughts.
To hear more from Ryan, you can find him on Twitter @RyanDarby28.
