Chelsea Transfer News and Rumours Latest

TRANSFER NEWS/RUMOURS UPDATE - 25 JUNE 2012

Following is a roundup of Transfer News/Rumors from various sources: (Disclaimer: Credibility of the Sources are debatable.)

Chelsea Turn to Newcastle United Striker, Demba Ba, as Blues Refuse to Stump Up £38m for Hulk. ~ CaughtOffSide

Huntelaar link part of Blues' Hulk plan. ~ EatSleepSport

Florent Malouda Offered To Fluminense? Apparently, he had said before that he would like to play in Brazil at some point in his career. Also, he a Brazilian wife. ~ WAGNH

Wigan have reportedly lined up a replacement for Victor Moses, who continues to be linked with a move to Chelsea. ~ CrunchSports

Chelsea Can't Let Hatem Ben Arfa Sign with Arsenal. ~ BleacherReport

City joins Chelsea in the race for Diego Godin. ~ ABola

Blues Must Avoid Low-Ball Offers for Fernando Torres. ~ BleacherReport

Once rumored with Chelsea, Lewandowski has sparked Real Madrid's interests. ~ Bild

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TRANSFER NEWS/RUMOURS UPDATE - 24 JUNE 2012

Salomon Rondon to Chelsea rumors growing. ~ Full Story Here

Manchester City Join Chelsea in race for Diego Godin ~ DailyStar

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TRANSFER NEWS/RUMOURS UPDATE - 23 JUNE 2012

Debuchy is one of Di Matteo's preferred options, and Chelsea's interest could seriously hamper Newcastle's chances of landing the in-demand Lille defender. ~ The Northern Echo

Czech Republic defender Theodor Gebre Selassie has completed a move to SV Werder Bremen following the end of his nation's UEFA EURO 2012 campaign. ~ UEFA

It was wildly rumored, a lot on twitter, than Chelsea's scouts were out to watch Gebre Selassie against Cristiano Ronaldo. This news came the very next day.

Manchester United and Manchester City look set for a massive transfer snub - with Javi Martinez close to joining Bayern Munich. ~ TalkSport

Although, it maybe a long shot, Javi Martinez previously linked with a Chelsea Transfer going to Bayern could mean a possible exit for Schweinsteiger. Maybe he and Roman shared more than just a joke, the last time the duo met during Euro 2012.

Chelsea are on the verge of completing the signing Porto striker Hulk after owner Roman Abramovich ratified the £35 million deal. ~ Squeaky

Guardiola urged to snub Chelsea for Bayern as Spain chief Del Bosque advises Barca legend. ~ Sportsmail

Brendan Rodgers is hoping to agree a minimum £10m deal for the Roma striker Fabio Borini this summer, having coached him as a youngster at Chelsea and having signed him on loan at Swansea. ~ Guardian 

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TRANSFER NEWS/RUMOURS UPDATE - 22 JUNE 2012

CHELSEA are ready to ditch plans to buy Brazilian forward Hulk after a bidding war started for the player. ~ Fulham Chronicle

"According to the newspapers, the Hulk would already be output. But I can guarantee now is that the Port has not received any proposal for it" - Da Costa told the radio Antena 1. ~ Globoesporte

Also according to Globoesporte, Hulk's termination fine is € 72 million (U.S. $ 186.7 million)

Pep Guardiola’s agent has rubbished reports linking the former Barcelona boss with a switch to Bayern Munich.

Chelsea recently appointed Roberto Di Matteo as their permanent manager on a two-year-deal but it is believed his contract may contain a break clause which can be activated after a year, allowing the club to make a move for Guardiola next summer. ~ TalkSport

United, City and Chelsea want Huntelaar ~ ABola

Pinto da Costa, president of FC Porto, said today, on arrival in Warsaw, that Porto was not contacted by any club to sell Hulk. ~ O Jogo

Pinto da Costa guarantees no offers for Hulk yet. ~ ABola

"No proposals have come from Hulk" ~ DN Desporto

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TRANSFER NEWS/RUMOURS UPDATE - 21 JUNE 2012

Hulk Update:

Hulk refused Paris Saint-Germain. Says if it is not Chelsea, then he will remain at Porto. ~ O Jogo

Porto striker Hulk 'wants to sign for Chelsea over French club Paris Saint-Germain' ~ Telegraph

Heart Set On Chelsea – Hulk Snubs Paris Saint-Germain. ~ InsideFutbol

Hulk prefers move to Chelsea over PSG. ~ Emirates247

Porto striker Hulk issues come and get me plea to Chelsea despite interest from France. DailyMail

P.S: We are proud to say we feel vindicated by our assessment of Hulk to Chelsea Transfer Saga. This is the STORY we had posted a day back on it, an objective assessment of Hulk's transfer. Many of the sources out there seem to be echoing our views.

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TRANSFER NEWS/RUMOURS UPDATE - 20 JUNE 2012

Galatasaray are lining up a £10million offer for Chelsea and Everton target Oscar Cardozo. ~ TalkSport

Fiorentina issue hands off warning to Chelsea over Jovetic. ~ MailOnline

Chelsea up bid for Moses after £4m rebuff as forward tells Wigan he wants out. ~ DailyMail

Chelsea’s hopes of landing Rafael da Silva have been hit by the news the defender is set to land a new deal with Manchester United. ~ CaughtOffSide

Bosingwa offered to Barcelona as former Chelsea full-back seeks new club. ~ MailOnline

The Competition: A Look At Chelsea's Title Rivals For Next Season

The Premier League: The most competent league in Europe.

The Barclays Premier League is considered by many to be the best football league in the world. Not only does the League have some of the world's finest players, it's one of the world's most watched leagues & has a number of quality teams that enjoy large fan-bases around the world. Results are often unpredictable, which makes the league all the more enjoyable to watch.Over recent years, Chelsea have emerged as regular contenders for the Premier League title. Last season though, we didn't even finish in the top 4. I expect this season to be different, with quality players having already arrived at the club & more players yet to sign. Of course, winning the League again won't be an easy task. There are a few clubs in England that have enough quality to win the League. Having said that, let us now take a look at 3 clubs who I think will be Chelsea's direct title rivals:-

Manchester City: Champions '12 

1) Manchester City- The defending champions. Manchester City have been a major force in English football since 2008, when they were taken over by the Abu Dhabi United Group owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The club spent millions of pounds buying quality players. They won the Premier League last season by beating QPR in their final match, making it the first time that the Premier League had been decided on goal difference. Their current squad is full of quality players like Edin Dzeko, David Silva, Yaya Toure, Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany, Samir Nasri & Joe Hart besides others. A squad like that means they will definitely be title contenders next season. Throw in the fact that manager Roberto Mancini has large resources at his disposal & one can expect them to add a few more players to their squad, despite being relatively inactive in the transfer market so far. Expect them to be Chelsea's toughest & most direct title rivals for next season.

Manchester United: Champions '11

2) Manchester United- The most successful English club in the Premier League era, Manchester United have been a major force in English football for a long time now. The club holds the record for the most no. of top-division titles (19) & came extremely close to adding a 20th League to their trophy cabinet last season, only to be thwarted by Manchester City at the very last minute. Despite finishing 2nd in the League, 2011-12 was not one of United's better seasons as they won no major trophy at all (if you exclude the FA Community Shield which they won in the beginning of the season!). However, credit must be given to United for fighting right till the end, although I could also criticize them for squandering the lead that they had in the Premier League. Nevertheless, the addition of Shinji Kagawa & Nick Powell show that Sir Alex Ferguson is preparing his team to win yet another Premier League title. Chelsea must not make the mistake of underestimating them.

Can Arsenal end their trophy drought? 

3) Arsenal- Before you begin to question my sanity, let me finish. It's true that Arsenal last won a major trophy in 2005 (The FA Cup). It's also embarrassing that many Arsenal fans actually consider finishing above Spurs in the League an achievement (High expectations, huh?). But Arsene Wenger has shown he means business this season, with the signing of Lukas Podolski already complete, & deals for French players Olivier Giroud & Yann M'Vila expected to be complete after Euro 2012. The club already have quality players in Alex Song, Alex Oxlaide-Chamberlain, Robin van Persie, Mikel Arteta & Jack Wilshere besides others. The addition of Podolski, Giroud & M'Vila will only strengthen their squad. Plus, I'm sure Arsene Wenger would want Arsenal to end their trophy drought sooner rather than later (right?). While I don't see them as favourites for winning the Premier League trophy, expect them to spring a few surprises along the way. Who knows, maybe they'll win the Capital One Cup...

There are other clubs who will not be easy opponents, but I don't expect them to be major title contenders. Spurs managed to finish 4th last season, but I don't think that will happen again. Newcastle United had an impressive 2011-12 season, & it will be interesting to see if they will be able to replicate those performances.  Liverpool haven't been title contenders in a while now, & I don't expect them to challenge for a major trophy next season, despite having a new manager in Brendan Rodgers. One thing we can expect is another good season of football in the Barclays Premier League. I cannot wait for next season.


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Blue wave coming towards football!

Now that we have won the Champions League, it feels like a heavy load is off our back. No more “You guys have never won a Champions League” claims from the anti-Chelsea fans. We’ve got it now. The Holy Grail is in our cabinet. Last season was a huge success for Chelsea. The season which media predicted would be our worst season went on to become our best season. However, they were right in one thing. We failed in the premier league by losing a battle for a Champions League spot. Maybe this time that would be overshadowed by our famous Champions League win. But fighting for the Champions League spot is below our grade. That’s probably Arsenal and Tottenham’s level. We should be up there at the top. We should be challenging for the title.

Winning the Champions League and FA Cup, however reassures our spot in the list of world’s best football powerhouses. Next season would be the best opportunity for us to prove that we can be consistent at top level. We would be playing in the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup next season. Including those we will take part in 7 tournaments (including the community shield). From them, Premier League should be our main priority. We need a big squad for that. We need rotation in it. Youth needs to step up. Legends should keep leading them with examples. I think we are really good at that part. And with Roman’s huge wallet, I think next season would be more than just gold for us. Ladies and gentlemen, fasten your seatbelts, because there is a huge blue wave coming towards football. I meant a royal blue wave. A dark blue wave. Definitely not a light one.

Here’s why


Eden Hazard

Ligue 1’s best player for the past two seasons. Owns twenty goals and fifteen assists from last season. Sought after by the biggest footballing giants. But he said, “I’m signing for the champions league winner”. This talented 21 year old can play both as a winger and as an attacking midfielder. However he prefers the latter. Many of the football experts praised this skilled Belgian international. He has got an awesome dribbling, an eye for the goal and creates chances as well in the meantime. He is known for his creativity, speed and technical ability. Described as a “fearless, explosive attacking midfielder who can change the game with a turn of pace or a dribble” and also “a defenders’ nightmare”. He has drawn comparisons with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. He is the man for Chelsea next season.

Marko Marin

This guy impressed me first at the FIFA World Cup 2010 after coming on as a sub in a game with a set of dribbles and drilling the defense lines. 23 years old, a German international known as the German Messi for his great dribbling skill. He is described as a player who can decide a game on his own. Quite like Hazard, but he is less physical and is injury prone as he spent most of the last season in the sidelines. This might be a problem. But his effective skills as a winger or as an attacking midfielder compensates for that. He is known for his acceleration, dribbling, agility, creativity, versatility, technical ability and as an assist maker. Chelsea bought him from German side Werder Bremen for $8M. He can bring back the spark from the wings that Chelsea had during the Mourinho days.

Hulk

Now that Drogba and Kalou are gone we need another striker. And I believe Hulk can be the exact replacement. But Porto could be quite reluctant to sell him, especially to Chelsea as our history with them is not at the best condition. Aged 25, this Brazilian international has the power to smash in goals and is quite effective in front of the goal. He lives up to his name Hulk (actually a nickname from his father). He is Chelsea’s first choice to replace Drogba. But Malaga’s Salomon Rondon, Fiorentina’s Stevan Jovetic and Wigan’s Victor Moses are also in the queue.

Mathieu Debuchy

Team mate of Eden Hazard at Lille. Can be teammates again if the transfer happens. This French international has impressed football eyes in this year’s European Championship playing as a right back for France. He has scored 15 goals in his career which is quite impressive for a 26 year old right back. We need him to replace Jose Bosingwa who is released by Chelsea. Debuchy is known for stability, consistency and positioning which currently lacks at Chelsea. He also has ability to move forward with the ball in the opposition half and provide good crosses infront of the opposition goal. And if needed he can act as a defensive midfielder. I think we should buy him instead of Van der Wiel.

I believe that’s all the shopping we need. Already our squad is crowded and if needed there is January transfer market. And we have skilled youth players in Islam Feruz, Lucas Piazon, Ryan Bertrand who is ready to step up whenever they are given the chance. With this squad, the legends and Roberto Di Matteo, I think we are in for a treat next season. My preferred line up:

Cech

Debuchy/Ivanovic           Luiz/Cahill            John Terry           Cole/Bertrand

Ramires/Meireles            Lampard/Mikel/Essien

Mata                                     Hazard                                  Marin

Torres/Hulk

Feel free to comment in your preferred line up. By #LimCFC

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Which Right Back Should Chelsea Sign?

The transfer window is still yet to be opened, but the transfer rumors and prediction are wildly spreading to every corner of the world. We have signed a few fantastic young players such as Eden Hazard and Marko Marin, and let go a few, to name Drogba, Kalou and Bosingwa. So with players leaving, we need to fill in the void they left. The positions that are particularly highlighted by Chelsea fans are the right wing and right back position. Whilst we have many options for the right wing, I personally consider the right back position to be given extra attention, simply for the sole reason that this is the only position we don’t have players to fill. In the last few seasons we saw Ivanovic fill in that spot, brilliantly I must say, but as we all know, for the coming seasons he stated that he would like to be played in the central of defense.

Some might say give Sam Hutchinson a chance, but the lad has only played a total of two matches since his comeback from December 2011. So it would be a big gamble, not to mention all the matches we’ll be going through next season. We also still have our long serving Paulo Ferreira, but his Chelsea days are coming to end as he will be turning 34-year-old next season, but I’d love to see him become a Chelsea staff or coach sometimes in the future. So one more right back would fit in perfectly.

Chelsea is reported in many medias linked to a few names for the position, namely Matthieu Debuchy, Gregory Van Der Wiel, Cesar Azpilicueta and Kyle Walker. These players are class right backs, but not all would fit in Chelsea, so which should we sign? First, let’s take look at them individually-

Matthieu Debuchy

Debuchy is currently a Lille player, and is also participating in the Euros for France. So far, he has been showing great performances, only to be doubted by the match last night against Spain. But lets not judge by one performance, as his three previously was great. And add to the note, he was played in midfield, not the right back. Age wise, he’s a little older than the other candidates, he turns 27 this year, but let’s not all forget, our talismanic left back, Ashley Cole, also came to Chelsea from Arsenal at the age of 26, so not too much of a difference. All in all, he’s a great right back, from how he played in the Euros, he runs forward when needed, and get’s back to defend quickly. Oh, I might add his tackles were also brilliant against England, wasn’t it? Chelsea and Newcastle are favorites to sign him, but Newcastle’s £4M bid was rejected, so now it’s all Chelsea’s to lose.

Gregory Van Der Wiel

This Ajax right back is considered to be the next Michael Reiziger by many, but his poor performance in the Euros has taken aback all interests clubs had. He was a vital player in the World Cup back in 2010 and gave a solid performance, he’s style of play is similar to Bosingwa, he prefers to do a lot more runs forward than stay back defending, so most of the time he doesn’t hold his covering responsibility on defense, but what differs them is Van Der Wiel defends better. Van Der Wiel was part of the Dutch players blamed for their disastrous campaign, alongside with Afellay and Van Persie. Voetbal International reported that Van Der Wiel, according to Dutch journalist Johan Derksen, was “working on everything except football, he has his own clothing line and was working too long on it. Plus he was working on hip-hop music and was getting his hair done every day. Players hardly saw him without headphones on. He wasn't listening to music only during matches and training”. An interesting assessment, isn’t it? If he does come to Chelsea, I’m glad we have the likes of JT, Lamps and Cech to straighten this young fellow.

César Azpilicueta

Azpilicueta defending against Eden Hazard. Will they reunite as teammates in Chelsea?

Azpilicueta has been linked to Chelsea since last year, and was heavily considered to move in the winter transfer window early this year. To be honest, this lad is the player I would love to see at Chelsea. So many reasons why. First, at only 22, Azpilicueta has shown maturity in play, which Bosingwa didn’t have. He decides perfectly on when to go forward, and when not too. He understands that joining the attack is necessary, but his primary responsibility is his defending duties. He’s tackling is on par with Walker, but his best defending attribute in my opinion is his ability to read play, as he’s shown how good he is intervening passes. Another reason is his style of play. He’s fast and skillful. He defends really well, but he also offers a lot in attack. With his style of play, he could create great counter attacks and link up plays from way back all the way to the front. He would also fit in perfectly as we have Romeu, Mata and Torres to help him adjust to life in London. If your wondering on how a right back possesses a great attacking feature, the answer is, Azpilicueta began his career as an attacking midfielder in Osasuna. But because at that time the Osasuna senior team had injury problems in the back, he willingly played in right back, since then, he always played there. A great young player and proven.

Kyle Walker

Of all the candidates, Walker is the youngest. There hasn’t been too much speculation on him moving, as he has signed a new contract a few months back that keeps him in White Hart Lane until 2017. Never the less, Chelsea are still reported to be interested in him, and rightly so. Walker was named PFA Player of The Year last season, topping the likes of Aguero, Welbeck and Mata. Now compared to other candidates, we Chelsea fans are more accustomed to the abilities of Walker as Chelsea have played Tottenham in several competitions last season. He’s great defending, as he’s got the strength and tackles that is much needed in the Premier League, but he’s also quick. He runs forward but quickly gets back to defend. He doesn’t have the technical abilities Azpilicueta possess, but he’s got a fierce shooting ability as we’ve all witnessed on a few occasions last season. One advantage Chelsea would have if we sign him is he’s English, so that would come to play nicely for us and add to the home-grown rules quota.

So as you all can predict, my money would go to either Azpilicueta or Walker. Debuchy is a class right back, but Azpilicueta and Walker simply blows him away with what these two younger lads can offer us. Whilst Van Der Wiel is a big no for me, we’ll just basically buy a younger Bosingwa with bad attitude. Even though I slightly fancy Azpilicueta, either of them coming to Chelsea would be great news. The sole reason I fancy Azpilicueta more is the fact that his style of play would give us more flair and “class” to our counter attacks and link up plays. Whilst Walker’s style of play is typical English wing back, similar to Cole, quick runs back and forth, but lacks the “sexy” easy on the eye style. But then again, it’s just a personal point of view. Both have a lot to offer in attack, but both are getting their defensive responsibilities done in a great manner.

So do you guys agree or have a different opinion? Let us know

 Till then, Keep the Blue Flag Flying High…

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Why Roberto Di Matteo Is The Next Pep Guardiola?

The next Guardiola in the making.....

Irrespective of what happens in RDM's tenure over the next two years, RDM will go down in our history books as one of our most successful managers.And that is simply because he was the first Chelsea manager ever to win the Champions League.The fact that he is a Chelsea legend as a player makes it all the more special. So how does RDM qualify as the next Pep Guardoila ?What I write henceforth is just a hypothesis, it may be proved wrong but it has more chances of being correct than wrong.

The world knows what Guardiola did at Barcelona...

When Pep took over Barcelona, he had inherited a de-moralised team which was being utterly dominated by Real Madrid. The team was always finishing second best to Madrid.And it looked like Barca would never be able to turn the tables on Madrid. Enter Pep. Pep was a Barca legend. And he was a midfielder too. The board trusted him.Why ? Simple because he knew the club inside out and understood what the club wanted and what it stands for. The next 3-4 years, we all know what happened.Barcelona today are widely considered to be the best team in the world and Madrid struggle against them. Yes, Madrid won the league, but that was after a gap of 4 years.
And unless Madrid continue it, it'll be just a flash in the pan and Barca will dominate again.

Now take RDM's situation. I am sure you all would have started seeing  the similarities already.
RDM took over Chelsea at a time when we were lost. We had no direction, we had no formation. We had lost the will to play. We had lost the will to fight.Pride was lost and the season was heading for dooms-day. AVB resembled a harrassed person. One who had lost all control and respect of the dressing room. And his philosophy wasn't working.After endless poor results, and that 3-1 defeat in Napoli, It was clear that something had to be done and so AVB left.Enter RDM. THe club legend. The guy who understood the club ideals. The guy who knew exactly what the club wanted. Oh, not to mention, he was a midfielder too (*wink*).

Cool,calm and composed that's how he did things.

He identified the areas where the club faced problems. There have been endless articles on what RDM has done, so I won't repeat them. You already know that.So, he identified the problems and solved them. Her didn't do anything extra-ordinary. He kept it simple.Here's one proof. This one's from King Drogba yesterday only :


" When we were about to play against Barcelona, we watched a lot of video. We knew we were playing the best team in the world.So for us playing this game, especially when we came from Napoli and we should have been out a long time ago, we were lucky to be there but we played hard as well.  So when we watched the video, the manager wasn't showing Messi. At the end, you could see the important players. The ones who scored and created assists, the most consistent guys. With Messi, he just said that he had 61 goals. We all started laughing. We knew we were in for a difficult night but we did our best."

See ? RDM understands the basics of football. He knows how to strike a chord with the players. He won't take drastic measures. He'll just keep it simple. And that's why the players love him.

One more plus point about RDM is that he's highly intelligent. He and Hiddink have been the only two managers post-Roman era who have been sane enough not to challenge Roman's authority.
A GOOD manager is the one who cries for the resources he REQUIRES annd gets the job done, like he should.


A GREAT manager is the one who UTILIZES the resources AVALILABLE with him, however insufficient they may be and still gets the job done.RDM falls in the second bracket manager. So does Pep.If you look at Pep's signings, they have been terrible. Ibramovich, Hleb, Afellay and many others have been duds. But then how has he been successful ?He's used the talent the club already possessed and brought out the best in them.And that's exactly what RDM is doing. I am sure everyone is understanding what I am trying to point out.

Let's hope Robbie takes Chelsea to a whole new level and stays with us for years to come....

RDM has got a contract for 2 years now. So lets see what all can he do in the next 2 years.
One thing is for certain, the old players like Terry, Cech and Lampard will continue to give 200% for RDM and Chelsea. RDM himself is a legend and he knows how to treat legends.So when he has the senior player's support, he'll have control over the dressing room.Players already respect him. The new players will respect him too not only because that he's a UCL winning manager but because also as a manager he's extremely humble and as we all know he's a master of man management.

Everything is in place for RDM to do at Chelsea what Pep did at Barca. We have financial resources. He's inherited a great team and more players are enroute.We got awesome youth. We got a great owner. We got great fans. We all love RDM. The players love RDM.All in all, without repeating what has alreadly been said in many articles, I think RDM could be our Pep Gaurdiola. I hope he is.

#KTBFFH

-RR2 (Chelsea360)

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Salomon Rondon to Chelsea ?

How good is Salomon Rondon and whether he will join Chelsea

With the transfer of Hulk to Chelsea news going into the back-burner, media and Blues fans alike are keen to know to which other player is likely to wear the Blue jersey next season at the Bridge.
José Salomón Rondón Giménez fits the bill. Are you feeling bored? Wait till you read the next line. DROGBA! Woken up, have you. Yes, Drogba is the player Rondon models himself on, as claimed by Rondon himself.

Salomon Rondon is a 22 year old Right-Footed, Center-Forward, who plays for Malaga, the Manchester City of Spain. Abdullah Bin Nasser Al Thani is a Qatari billionaire who bought Malaga CF for a reported €36m a couple of years ago and has big plans for the club that include a new 65,000-seater arena – to be called ‘Qatar Stadium’ – and a training academy covering 120,000 square metres. (source)

If you are a skeptic about Rondon, then continue reading to be proven otherwise. Rondon was the leading scorer for Venezuela in the FIFA U-20 World Cup held in Egypt in 2009, the country’s first appearance in a world cup finals.

Rondon has played two seasons for Malaga so far. In his first season he scored 14 goals which helped them stay afloat in the top tier. In his second season he scored 11 goals. The last goal of his, in the league, helped them clinch the crucial fourth spot in the league table thereby securing a Champions League qualification spot.

“As a person I’ve learned to listen and take advice,” he added. “And as a player, I’d put it like this: I knew how to play football but I needed to polish my game and learn my trade. I feel I’ve improved my finishing, the way I get up in the air, how I hold up the ball and my all-round technique. Having a team-mate like Ruud Van Nistelrooy also helps, though I’ve still got work to do.” Rondon to FIFA. At 22, he seems to have a matured head on his shoulders.

Furthermore, Rondon as a player is termed as an athletically built front-man, who stands 6’1 tall, possesses strength, aerial power and has ability to play with his back to goal and facing it. All those traits were seen in Drogba.

Irrespective of whether the Hulk deal goes through or not, Rondon is a player worth considering for Chelsea. Torres deserves to be on the team sheet as the number one striker. However, Rondon could be a star for the future.

He is only 22. Rondon could act as a back-up striker and could be slowly eased into the setup as age is on his side. If needed Torres and Rondon both can play upfront. Torres can be deadly if given an opportunity to run at the defenders. Rondon is perfect for that. He can hold the ball up with his back to the opposition goal and unleash a Torres terror with a through ball.

Now to the real world, from the imaginary. Will Rondon sign for Chelsea as rumored in certain sections of the media?

There have been contradictory reports. While some reports are claiming, the big spending Malaga wants to sign a big name marquee player before the start of next season, which would make Rondon surplus to requirements and others are claiming the departure of Nistelrooy makes Rondon their star center forward.

Moreover, three different sources are naming three different agents as Rondon's representative. Following are the various reports on Rondon and his Chelsea transfer.

This is the original source that everyone else is basing their story on:
Salomon Rondon is wanted by many teams in the Premier League ~ Mundo Deportivo

It is a Spanish source and basically is telling us that Rondon's agent Pablo Martinez is claiming several EPL clubs including Chelsea and 3 top German clubs want Rondon.

The same source had reported a few days ago that, Rondon's agent is the same person as Juan Mata's. If you recall Mata's agent is his father. This writer tried digging deeper and found out that Juan Manuel RODRIGUEZ MATA is a registered player agent according to FIFA. Furthermore, the report mentioned that Rondon has been pushed down the pecking order with the arrival of other star signings and wants to move on. he has only two years left in his contract and has a buy-out clause of £20 Million.

Lavinotinto was the source quoted by El Mundo Deportivo.

Noticias24 reported as recent as June 15, that his agent Paul Martinez has played down the transfer rumors. He went on to say that these rumors are part and parcel of the transfer season and that Rondon is focused on playing for Malaga next season. Italian clubs such as Juventus and Geneo are also interested in signing Rondon.

Marca had reported on June 11, that Chelsea's scouts were out to watch Rondon in action against Chile in Venezuela's 2014 World Cup qualifier. They claim Chelsea were preparing with an initial bid of €14 Million. They lost that match 0-2 to Chile. The report went on to add that the departure of Nistelrooy meant Rondon is their first choice number 9.

The Salomon Rondon’s agent Pablo Martinez confirmed that he has been in contact with a handful of Chelsea, but that no deal has been mooted yet, with the player weighing up his options. ~ NationalTurk

Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool fight for £20m Salomon Rondon ~ DailyStar

So far, we have had 3 different agents for Rondon, Pablo Martinez, Paul Martinez and Mata's father.

Rondon has two years left in his contract with Malaga and at present his market value is £8 Million. After having read various reports and analyzing them, this writer feels that if Malaga sign a big name striker in the summer, Rondon will leave. If he indeed does have a buy-out clause of £20m, Chelsea would be knocking/tearing down Malaga's door.

Rondon has immense potential. He has performed at the highest level and is only 22. He doesn't need to be loaned out like other youngsters in the Chelsea set up. He can be slotted into the first team straight away. Rondon shouldn't be looked upon as a back-up to Hulk. If possible Rondon and Hulk both must be signed up by Chelsea.

However, whether this deal takes place is not entirely dependent on Chelsea's willingness to sign Rondon. Malaga is aiming to develop a squad that can compete with Real Madrid and Barcelona. Financial strength is not an issue for Malaga. Having said that, Malaga will be tempted to sign a big name striker who has proven himself in the Champions League. If that happens, expect Rondon to leave Malaga. As a Blues fan, this writer would be hoping his favored destination is SW6.

As always please share your thoughts with us and KTBFFH.

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The Way Forward: Chelsea's Aims For 2012-13

Last season was one of mixed emotions. We witnessed a remarkable turnaround under Roberto Di Matteo & managed to win the Champions League & the FA Cup. However, we finished 6th in the Premier League, clearly not good enough by our standards.

I think the main reason we had such a season was because the club seemed too busy rebuilding under Andre Villas-Boas & he didn't focus on the results. When Di Matteo was handed the job on an interim basis, he focused exclusively on results, which worked wonders for the club. Nevertheless, Chelsea fans would not want to witness another season like 2011-12, even though it actually ended well. 
Let's take a look at what the club should aim for next season:-

2009-10: The last time we won the League

1) Win The Premier League- No doubt this would be Roberto Di Matteo's top priority for next season. Chelsea last won the League in 2009-10, when Carlo Ancelotti was in charge. We came close in 2010-11, but were never really contenders for the League last season. Most people thought the club would be lucky to make 4th place, & they were right. Winning the Champions League ensured that finishing 6th didn't cost us, but Robbie would want to ensure that we avoid such a situation again. Winning the FA Cup & the Champions League last season showed the world that we are still a force to be reckoned with, but we must win the League next season to further prove that point.

How we'd love to see such sights again... 

2) Win The Champions League- By winning the Champions League last season, Chelsea became the 1st team from London to win the trophy. We would love to win it again. However, since the European Cup was renamed the "UEFA Champions League", no team has ever been able to successfully retain the trophy. Many thought Barcelona would be able to pull it off last season, but they were knocked out in the semi-finals by us. Retaining the Champions League would be a massive achievement. What's more, fans of clubs like Liverpool & Manchester United fans will no longer be able to bang on about how they have more "history" than us!

Islam Feruz

Lucas Piazon

3) Give Youth A Chance- Probably not the most glamorous of objectives, but an important one nonetheless. Chelsea is absolutely teeming with talented young players, but they never seem to even make the bench on a regular basis, never mind the starting XI. I hear Chelsea fans constantly going on about how we should buy this player & that player, but most people seem to forget that we have players like Lucas Piazon, Nathaniel Chalobah, Todd Kane, Milan Lalkovic & Islam Feruz (to name a few) patiently waiting in the wings. It's extremely important that we give these players a chance to impress, or risk losing them to other clubs. 



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