Should Chelsea target Belgian midfielder Axel Witsel?

Axel Witsel

Jose Mourinho has been given a major boost in any efforts to strengthen his squad this January after Zenit St. Petersburg anchor Axel Witsel admitted that he hopes to one day play for a “big club” like Chelsea or Manchester United.

That’s according to the Express, who reports the midfielder as saying that the Premier League is his destination of choice when he leaves Russia’s bitter climates.

It’s a big positive for the Blues, too, considering Witsel fits the bill of one who would improve their team drastically.

Lampard’s performance score this season

So far this season, veteran Frank Lampard has been the most impressive central asset under Mourinho’s command, he and Ramires having featured in all 11 of Chelsea’s Premier League matches with John Obi Mikel a backup option.

It’s a familiar story for the club, but the issue of the Englishman’s expiring contract—which comes to its end next June—will once again be raised in the new year. By next August, Lampard will be 36 years of age, and a replacement is most certainly on the agenda.

Although a more defensively minded midfielder, Witsel is one of a growing population of versatile players with a skillset more expansive than simply the one role. As he showed in the 1-1 draw with Amkar Perm several weeks ago, Witsel likes to get about the pitch, but definitely has a comfort zone poised in front of his own back four.

The 24-year-old is averaging three defensive actions per game in the current Russian Premier League campaign, the highest of any midfielder in Luciano Spalletti’s squad.

Stamina has proven to be a forte for the midfield man, too, considering he’s the only outfield player to have featured in all 16 of Zenit’s league games this term.

A lot of how Witsel would translate to the English top flight would rest on exactly how he’d be utilised, however. The Belgian international has a passing accuracy of 85%—wedged right in between Lampard and Ramires’ tallies of 84% and 86%, respectively—but it’s the fact that more than two of every three passes Witsel makes goes forward.

It’s here that one needs to factor in the prospect of how Mourinho would see his star feature, with the deepest lying of a midfield partnership bound to be the man passing forward most frequently.

Chances created by Ramires this season

More than simply thinking of how Witsel would perform in West London, it’s also vital that Chelsea consider how the players he’d be thrown in with would benefit from his arrival. Ramires is one of Chelsea’s chief playmakers in the 2013/14 season, having made an impressive 15 chances for his team-mates this season.

However, the Brazilian may benefit further from the arrival of a fellow Benfica alumni, and although the pair never got to play alongside one another in Portugal, Ramires spoke highly of his potential squadmate back in 2012, prior to the player’s Russian switch, per the Daily Mail.

With Lampard undoubtedly in his twilight years, Chelsea are seeking that player who can do the physical and demanding graft but can also provide a touch of sparkle. Witsel’s 58% of tackles won combined with 22 chances made this season would appear to be that precise kind of blend.

In Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois, Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne, the Blues already have a thriving list of up-and-coming Belgian talent amongst their ranks, and could add a much-needed talent to that quota should they move for Witsel’s services this winter.