According to reports from The Express yesterday evening, Chelsea are planning an audacious swap deal to beat Arsenal to Southampton star Morgan Schneiderlin this summer.
The France international has emerged as one of the top enforcers in the Premier League since Southampton’s top flight ascension in summer 2012, further cementing his reputation this year by averaging the third-most tackles per-match, 3.7, of any player in the division.
Believed to be on the prowl for a holding player, Arsenal have been strongly linked with the 25 year-old this season, with some sources even claiming they’ve already agreed a £15million deal – as This Is Futbol revealed earlier this month.
But The Express now claim Chelsea are planning to throw a curveball, offering long-serving midfielder John Obi Mikel in exchange for Schneiderlin.
The Nigerian international has been at Stamford Bridge for almost a decade and is highly thought-of as a consistent performer and dedicated professional. But he’s managed just 483 minutes in the Premier League this season, and the 28 year-old’s game-time would be even further slashed upon Schneiderlin’s potential arrival.
Likewise, Mikel has the quality and experience to fill the Frenchman’s void at St.Mary’s – but would Southampton entertain a straight swap when they could make £15million on selling Schneiderlin?
full support
I was desperately hoping this would be about Varane