According to reports from The Express yesterday afternoon, Chelsea are considering a January swoop for FC Porto prodigy Ruben Neves.
What’s the word?
The Express report that Jose Mourinho could turn to his former club in January to arrest the horrendous start to the Blues’ Premier League title defence, losing three of their first five league fixtures, with a swoop for teenage sensation Ruben Neves.
He’s been mooted by the British newspaper as a potential alternative to Juventus star Paul Pogba, who Chelsea failed to lure to west London during the summer despite allegedly agreeing a £62million fee with their Serie A counterparts.
How good is he?
Has Chelsea’s engine room been up to standard this season?
The defensive midfielder, who team-mate Cristian Tello has compared to Barcelona’s formidable anchor man Sergio Busquets, is certainly more of a long-term prospect.
But he’s already emerged as a regular member of the Dragons’ first team at just 18 years of age, last term registering 37 appearances across all competitions – including 24 in the Primeira Liga – and also featured for Portugal during the summer’s U21 European Championship, coming on from the bench in a 1-0 win over England.
Anyone else interested?
Liverpool were linked with the 5 foot 11 midfielder by Mirror Football in January, but according to The Express he’s also on the radars of Barcelona and Real Madrid – which in itself says plenty about Neves’ potential.
Do Chelsea really need him?
Perhaps. Whether he’s ready to feature regularly at the top end of the Premier League is another debate, but Chelsea’s midfield options have been found wanting this season and some new blood wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Indeed, the Cesc Fabregas-Nemanja Matic partnership is yet to provide the ideal equilibrium of defensive protection, physicality, creativity and control as it did last season, whilst Ramires and John Obi Mikel could well be in the final chapters of their Stamford Bridge careers. Another option in the middle of the park certainly wouldn’t weaken Mourinho’s squad – and it might buck up the ideas of Chelsea’s more established, under-performing names.
Highest transfer fees ever received by FC Porto. Evidence that Ruben Neves will come with a huge price-tag?
What kind of price?
The Express (and primary source HITC) fail to quote a ball-park figure. But with Barcelona and Real Madrid reportedly lurking, it’s assumed he won’t be flogged for loose change. Furthermore, the Primeira Liga’s top sides have a knack of driving hard bargains. During the summer, Porto sold striker Jackson Martinez for £25million – a fantastic price considering his contract was in it’s final year, he lacks of resale value at 28 years of age and his experience in European football is limited to only the Portuguese top flight. They also once conned Manchester United into spending €31.5million on Anderson.
How reliable is the story?
The Express are by no means dependable with such matters. In fact, they tend to go for quantity over quality when it comes to transfer rumours and publish just about anything they can mastermind a click-bait title out of. This one is sourced from Here Is The City who accredit ‘HITC Sport sources’, which hardly inspires great confidence considering the site usually regurgitate reports from abroad and aren’t exactly renowned for In-The-Know market secrets.
Then again, Jose Mourinho has placed an emphasis on youth since returning to Stamford Bridge and Chelsea’s farming out operation is a rather monolithic one, with a whopping 32 players currently on loan at other clubs. It’s possible Neves is being pursued as an addition to the loan army, perhaps making some cameo appearances during his first season in a similar manner to Mohamed Salah, rather than the instantaneous savour of the Blues’ stalling engine room.
Also in the news:
Chelsea, Man City and Real set for January scrap over £37m defender
Revealed: How poor timing cost Man United £6.5m this summer
Man United hope to beat Chelsea and City to England prodigy with £1m bid
Chelsea to return for No.1 target in January but face City and Barca
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