Javier Pastore, the Argentine midfielder who joined Paris Saint-Germain n August 2011 for a fee of €42m at the tender age of 22, has been reportedly put on the transfer list by the French giants. Pastore’s signing, which was a record fee paid by a French club back in 2011, signalled PSG’s intent to buy the best players in Europe.
The technically gifted playmaker can play in several positions. His tall, slender build complemented by his work-rate allows him to operate as a winger or a deep-lying midfielder depending on the team’s requirement. The creative midfielder has a knack for not only creating but also scoring goals for club and country.
Pastore, who has gone on to make over 150 appearances at Paris, has failed to cement a regular starting place in his 6-year tenure at the club due to some unfortunate recurring injuries. The 28-year old will now find it difficult to regain a regular starting spot with the likes of Rabiot, Motta and Verratti orchestrating the PSG midfield.
PSG on the other hand, spent close to £200 million in transfers this summer and are likely to list a host of big names on their selling list to balance the books. Reports suggest that Pastore is one of them and PSG are likely to settle for as little as £26m as long as the deal is done promptly. With Pastore himself falling down the pecking order, a move for the Argentine could be possible in the January window.
The three major European clubs interested in signing Pastore are Chelsea, Liverpool and Inter Milan. Chelsea will want to correct their mistakes from failures in the summer transfer window and would hope to appease Antonio Conte by bringing in Pastore.
Conte’s switch to a 3-5-2 formation this season has left Chelsea short of players in their centre attacking midfield with Cesc Fabregas the only recognized senior player in that position. This might prompt Pastore to move to the West London club where he is likely to get a lot more game time.
Pastore’s move to Chelsea will bring in some much-needed creativity to The Pensioners. The Blues’ midfield predominantly consists of powerhouses like Kante and Bakayoko and lacks the guile and finesse needed to break down certain defences or to hold on the ball to see through matches.
If reports of Pastore being available for just £26m arere to be believed, it would be next to madness for Chelsea to not bid for ‘El Flaco’. But can they lure him to London?
