Knee-jerk reactions are dime-a-dozen in football. The notion that Antoonio Conte should be keeping a wary eye on the transfer market just four games into the season, after a loss to Liverpool is the very definition of the kind of reactionary punditry that is the scourge of football. Yet, look closer, and there is merit to this argument.
The Chelsea manager is struggling to impose his favourite 3-5-2 system at the Blues, especially given the personnel he has at hand. Conte started Nemanja Matic and N’Golo Kante behind Oscar in midfield against Liverpool and the Blues looked utterly bereft of ideas, even when they were chasing the game at the end.
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It’s clear that this system is not working for the current players and with Cesc Fabregas being benched due to his lack of defensive effort, it seems as though Conte will have to dip into the transfer marke in January if Chelsea are to mount a title challenge in the Premier League.
Here are 5 midfielders Chelsea should sign in January
1) Toni Kroos
It’s unlikely that Real Madrid will part with Toni Kroos, especially since Zinedine Zidane prefers to play the German quite regularly. However, a sufficiently massive bid from Chelsea should be enough to tempt the classy midfielder to move to the Premier League.
Kroos is pretty much the perfect midfielder for Antonio Conte’s system – the midfield dynamo can pass and perform his defensive duties with aplomb. Pair him with a pure defensive midfielder like N’Golo Kante and Kroos’ presence could free Cesc Fabregas to play in an unhindered No.10 role, a position in which he excels.
In just 3 appearances for Real Madrid so far, Toni Kroos has managed a staggering pass accuracy of 93%, with the majority of his passes being long passes forward, having created 10 chances already. Defensively, Kroos has won over half of his duels, which should be ideal for the kind of play Antonio Conte loves.
2) Ever Banega
When Inter Milan managed to sign Ever Banega this summer, almost everyone agreed the Nerazzurri had pulled off a coup, escpecially given that the former Sevilla star arrived on a free transfer. However, Roberto Mancini was sacked just a few days before the season, and Banega has struggled to be influential under Frank de Boer, which should make him available for Chelsea’s glamour in January.
If Banega does swap the black-and-blue of Inter for Chelsea’s blue in January, he could dovetail with either of Nemanja Matic or N’Golo Kante equally well, as he can create from deep with ease. The Argentine does have a bit of steel to him, despite his dimunitive size, and coupled with his excellence at positioning himself – Banega would thrive at the heart of Chelsea’s midfield.
In three appearances for Inter Milan, Banega has still managed to show his individual quality, despite Inter’s poor form. The Argentine midfielder has a pass accuracy of 89%, and an average pass length of 20m, with a majority of his passes going forward, having created 12 chances. Defensivle Banega has won 56% of his duels, a good number for a central midfielder.
3) Marco Verratti
An Italian powerhouse at the heart of Conte’s Chelsea seems almost inevitable, but prying Marco Verratti away from Paris St-Germain’s moneyed clutches seems an almost impossible task. However, the lure of linking up with his former national team manager in addition to playing in a competitive environment like the Premier League should be enough to sway Verratti to join Chelsea.
If he does arrive at Chelsea, Stamford Bridge will be witness to one of the finest midfielders in the world. Verratti was already playing the deep-lying playmaker role at PSG alongside similarly physical midfielders during Laurent Blanc’s reign – so he should not miss a beat in playing a similar system for Chelsea.
The Italian has made 227 passes in 4 games for the Ligue 1 champions this season, successfully completing 207 of those. Defensively, Verratti is the perhaps the best of the midfielders on this list, as the 23 year old has won 63% of his duels in midfield, a statistic that is sure to please Conte.
4) Frank Lampard / Andrea Pirlo
It’s telling that when both of Frank Lampard and Andrea Pirlo accepted the offer to join New York City FC in the MLS, the duo had been fielding offers from multiple European clubs – which weren’t even minnows. Chelsea could do well to bring back Frank Lampard or reunite Andrea Pirlo with Antonio Conte.
It’s not like these players are on the wane, either. In 16 appearances in the MLS, Lampard has already racked up a stunning 12 goals, while also creating 18 chances from midfield. Lampard’s average pass length reveals that he’s not lost his penchant for an exquisite long ball, while also winning over half of his duels in midfield.
As for Andrea Pirlo, the Italian already knows how to play under Conte – a move in January during the MLS off-season could be a perfect litle gift for Chelsea. The idea of Pirlo’s beautiful long balls from deep in the Premier League is mouth-watering, especially since he’s already created 50 chances this season.
5) Saul Niguez
Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez came under the spotlight of the wider footballing world when he scored a stunning goal against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League. The Rojiblancos might be cursing that moment, as it led to further heartbreak in the final and alerted the biggest clubs in the world to Saul’s talents.
If Chelsea do prise the Spaniard away from Atletico, they’ll receive a player who can be moulded into a perfect midfielder for Antonio Conte’s system. Saul can operate as an attacking midfielder and a defensive midfielder, like he did in both legs against Bayern Munich last season – a perfect audition for a deep-lying playmaker role at Chelsea.
However, Saul has endured a less-than-stellar start to the campaign with Atletico stuttering under Diego Simeone’s reign. The time may be right for the promising midfielder to make the leap to the Premier League and become know as one of the best midfielders in the world.
