Earlier this week, Chelsea midfielder Ramires completed a shock £25million move to Chinese Super League club Jiangsu Suning.
The Brazil international signed a four-year contract only a matter of months ago and certainly in the context of this season, has been one of the 13th-placed west London outfit’s more consistent performers.
But he failed to start a Premier League fixture under interim manager Guus Hiddink and now 28 years of age, either at his footballing peak or slightly surpassing it, the timing was probably right to close the curtain on his Stamford Bridge career.
The question now, however, is quite simply; who will replace the ever-energetic midfielder in Chelsea’s first team squad?
A signing this month seems unlikely, with the transfer window set to slam shut at 11pm on Monday evening. But nevertheless, we at This Is Futbol have decided to run the rule over SIX potential candidates who could fill Ramires’ void next season.