Here’s an interested transfer rumour that has been doing the rounds lately: Reports suggest that Chelsea and Galatasaray are trying to engineer a swap deal. The players exchanging sides are Chelsea’s Dider Drogba and Galatasaray’s Arda Turan. The rumour follows previous reports that Galatasaray’s preparations to make a bumper offer for Drogba in the summer had come undone by fears that any such deal could fall through given their inability to meet the wages that Drogba currently picks up at Chelsea.
The rumour was further quashed by Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay who recently claimed that he fully expected Drogba to remain a Chelsea player next season.
That’s how things were left until recently, when rumours started surfacing that Galatasaray were willing to consider a swap deal between Drogba and their star player Arda Turan. The Turkish side are thought to be willing to accept Drogba and a further £5m for Turan.
Let’s consider the swap for a moment. Turan is a Turkish footballer who, despite being only 24-years-old has already managed to acquire over 40 caps for his national side and 10 goals. Indeed, following an impressive showing at Euro 2008, he was ranked 8th in a selection of the best young footballers in the world by Spanish magazine Don Balón. The plaudits don’t end there. In January of last year Turan was voted the most popular European footballer and the second most popular footballer in the world by the FIFA recognised International Federation of Football History & Statistics.
He’s been with Galatasaray since 2004 and still continues to impress. He was made club captain in 2009, presumably in an attempt to keep hold of his services. Last season he managed to grab 11 goals and an impressive 25 assists in the Turkish League. This season has seen him notch up 3 goals and 2 assists.
It may be a little unfair to contrast the 24 year-old Turan with the 33 year-old Drogba, but let’s do it anyway. Despite many years of good service to Chelsea, Drogba has begun to show his age this season. In 31 appearances in all competitions, Drogba has managed to notch up 10 goals. Not awful by any means, but Chelsea officials may look at Turan and wonder if the time is right to cast away the old and bring in the new.
I have to say, I think this would be a good move for Chelsea. He’s a much cheaper option than Javier Pastore (who has been linked to the club by all and sundry) can play anywhere in the attack and will add a great deal of quality to the Chelsea squad.
Of course, there’s every possibility that Drogba will seek a move back to Marseille when he is deemed surplus to requirements at Chelsea. If I were Carlo Ancelotti, however, I’d do everything in my power to see that this swap deal was finalised.
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Chelsea should definately get Turan, heze one of the best players in the world on my football manager game haha
This swap and the story dont make sense at all to me. Firstly Arda is the best footballer of alltime in Turkey and the club doesnt want to sell him unless taking a really good offer.no one can argue how talented drogba is but exchanging a 24 years and 33 years old is not something a clever chairman do. This story is based on a rumour and it is far from being reality. Ayhan