Declan Rice or Aurelien Tchouameni?
That is the question.
Chelsea fans are spoilt for choice for their summer transfer window. Both midfielders intend to leave their clubs this summer in the hopes to join the Blues on their next title challenge. Whilst adding both midfielders to the roster would be the ideal outcome, the chances of that happening is quite slim.
I don’t mean to be the bearer of bad news, but both players together could cost over £100m. Considering that Chelsea needs a new right and left-back, possibly two midfielders and another attacker, we may have to save every penny we can.
So who will it be, West Ham’s finest or Moncao’s most rated? What a tasty problem to have.
Thomas Tuchel and the Chelsea board decided not to spend big in the January transfer window. As reported by the Athletic, Instead, they opted to prioritise a complete overhaul in the summer. That is some forward-thinking, if you ask me. There is a list of targets that Tuchel would like to acquire in the next transfer window, and it seems that Rice is on it as well as Tchouameni.
Tchouameni is Ligue 1's current midfield star boy. He can't seem to put a foot wrong in the French league. He is a 22-year-old who prides himself in his defensive capabilities. Last season he was ranked second in Ligue 1 for most tackles, fourth for interceptions, and second for successful pressures. Given that he won Ligue 1's young player of the year award last season, it's only right that he follows in Eden Hazard's footsteps.
The Frenchman is easy on the eye regarding his football ability. His desire to defend and intercept is likened to that of N'Golo Kante's, but his technical ability means that we will not massively miss Jorginho.
Both Kante and Jorginho are out of contract in the summer of 2023. The club will be planning for the future and will need to find a player who shares similarities of both, not just one. The most important thing is to replace our system players with versatile ones. Whilst Jorginho is extremely gifted in midfield. His holding capability falls short when without the ball; that's why Tchouameni or Rice will make as important signings for the club.
I cannot imagine a scenario where both Kante and Jorginho leave this summer, but this may become a harsh reality.
Chelsea's lingering love story with Rice is one that fans want to see blossom. The Blue's have been flirting with the idea of bringing their former Academy product back over to West London. Price tags and West Ham's absolute reluctance to let him go has been the reason for the breakdown in negotiations. From a valuation of £60m one season, then £100m the next. He's quite an expensive chap.
He is the integral piece to West Ham's midfield, however. No Rice, no party. Similar to Kante, he's all over the place. His work rate is unbelievable. He's positionally aware of breaking up play. He is progressive on the ball and not afraid to dip into the final third when necessary in the build-up. I mean, he's been everything Chelsea fans have been crying for these last couple of years.
So, who should Chelsea swing for? Both players are extremely talented in their own right and quite similar players with minor differences. They both share attributes from Jorginho and Kante. They both bring a new dynamic to the team.
I would always choose the Premier League proven talent. We would need a player who understands his opponents well and can withhold the pressure and physicality of the league. While I admire Tchouameni, we've dealt with a Monaco midfielder before in Tiemoue Bakayoko.
Make sure you have subscribed to CareFree Chelsea on YouTube! The Fan Brands team along with plenty of your football.london favourites will be producing daily Chelsea content for you to enjoy including match reactions, podcasts, football fun and interviews. You can follow Anita Abayomi from the CareFreeChelsea team to keep up to date with her work. If you enjoyed reading this then give her other articles a read below.
