Arturo Vidal of Bayern Munich had been heavily linked with a move to Chelsea with the Blues boss Antonio Conte keen on a reunion. However, the player has recently come out to the media and is claiming that he is seeking to stay at Munich for years to come.
“I do not think about a change, I feel really good here,” said Vidal on SPORT1 demand. The 30-year-old went even further and spoke of an extension of his contract expiring in 2019: “Of course I would like to extend! This is an option and my children are very happy here.”
With Vidal’s move looking unlikely now, here are three players Chelsea can look at.
Javier Pastore
Javier Pastore, the Argentine midfielder joined Paris Saint-Germain on August 6, 2011, at the tender age of 22. 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 making Chelsea a viable option.
Jean Michael Seri
The player in question here is Nice midfielder Jean Michael Seri. He is valued at around £35 million. He could well be on his way to England this summer with many clubs interested in him. The Ivory Coast midfielder is a star player at the French club and has played over a 100 games since his move back in 2015. He was linked heavily with a move to Barcelona but the Catalans pulled out at the last minute. A player with an engine to run for 90 minutes he would certainly shape the Chelsea midfield for years to come.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic
The 22-year old Serbian midfielder currently plays for Lazio. The central midfielder is an action-packed player and has a tenacious engine to keep playing 90 minutes day in day out. His added quality of having a keen eye for goal is however what sets him apart for someone his age. With years of peak football ahead of him; it is no secret why the big clubs are chasing his signature. Since his move to Lazio in the summer of 2015, Savic has gone on to make 101 appearances for the club scoring 19 goals and creating another 17. He will no doubt add much more as he continues to develop and Chelsea could do with a player like him.
