Who’s your ideal CFC transfer target this January?

By: Jack | December 29th, 2011

We are only days from the opening of the January transfer window. The rumor mill has already been spinning out of control over the past few weeks but, of course, as the new year approaches the links with a Chelsea clearly in need of something special will reach new levels of absurdity.

So, with that being said, why not take the absurdity to new heights ourselves? Better us than that wretched media lot in the UK, right?

cavani
Not coming to Chelsea or not coming to Chelsea?

As you know, I’m not a big fan of the January window. In fact, I reckon I hate the idea of it. A limited amount of time to do business coupled with a limited amount of available talent tends to lead to the inevitable waste of money (cue the Fernando Torres quips). It’s safe to say January is a metropolis for poor decision making.

Making it rain, but without those big titties in your face.

Chelsea are expected to go a bit nuts this January after our inconsistent first-half of the season. The Sun has it on good authority that Andre Villas-Boas has been blessed with a cool £150 million to spend as we welcome in 2012. You know, maybe this January’s rumors have already reached the peak of ridiculousness after all.

Do we expect AVB to release the Kraken? Hell no. The man’s far too intelligent (we think) for such nonsense. He’ll well know that this summer would be the proper time for shuffling bodies in and out of the club. Still, that’s not to say he isn’t looking to do some business this winter.

Gary Cahill appears primed to apply his signature to a contract alongside chief executive Ron Gourlay as soon as the window opens. He’s not expected to be alone in that regard. Villas-Boas mentioned earlier in the week that, though he doesn’t expect business to be jumping in January, he does think another player or two could be joining the club.

It’s with this quotage in mind that I bring forth the question of the day: Who would be the one player you would like to see Chelsea pursue this January?

There are indeed a plethora of conceivable options – including the man pictured above – though it’s highly doubtful any of these elite talents will move in January. So, yeah, hit us up with who you’d like to see the club close a deal for before February 1. At least attempt to keep it somewhat in the realm of reality, please; I don’t think pulling off a coup for Andres Iniesta is a possibility, guys. I’m sorry. Keep in mind where our current weaknesses are situated, and what kind of players would best help us secure Champions League football by May.

To get your started, I’ll give you a guy I’d like to see the club tie up in January.

Gaston Ramirez
When looking at securing players in January, you have to weigh price and potential with availability. Players such as Eden Hazard and Edinson Cavani would most certainly be welcome at Chelsea, but are unrealistic targets for the most part because they are either cup-tied or their current clubs are in the process of fighting for Champions League qualification, trophies or both.

ramirez Ramirez isn’t in such a position. Bologna are hovering around the relegation places in Serie A, currently in 16th. They don’t have a lot of money to spend to improve their situation, and it would seem cashing in on Ramirez is inevitable. He was reportedly unhappy in the summer with the direction Bologna was taking and, despite signing a contract extension, would appear ripe for a move to a larger club.

His agent this week said Ramirez won’t be leaving the club in January, but this guy’s an agent so how much can we really believe? I simply can’t see Bologna turning down a significant offer.

Anyway, about Ramirez. He’s a 6-foot attacker/winger with great pace, physicality (at about 175 pounds) and versatility. Like Juan Mata, he can play on either flank and pretty much anywhere along the midfield. The Uruguayan, who recently turned 21 and has already broken into the national team, is a fine dribbler and short-range passer. His crossing leaves something to be desired, at least for the time being, while his set-piece ability is close to excellent. Lord knows we need help in that facet of the game.

His buyout is also attractive, with it reportedly being set somewhere around £15 million. Liverpool are among a number of clubs that have been monitoring Ramirez, so his price would likely rise if he were to actually become available in January. Still, for a player of his talent and potential, £20-25m isn’t exactly overpaying.

Somewhat of a low risk with an extremely high ceiling. I like the idea.

Some Related Chelsea Posts:

Category: Opinion, Poll, Transfer Rumors

« Cahill indeed a target, AVB points to limited January activity | Home | Club confirms fee agreed for Cahill, personal terms ‘miles apart’ »

Marko

Isn't anybody worried about the fact that we are trying to sell Kakuta? I mean, we went through all the trouble to sign him and now we are just letting him go? The guy has magic
Neo

Just get Gotze!!!
Sharinganfx

Van Der Wiel. And Hoillet.

side point: Our boys on loan in the EPL don't seem to have contributed as much as Sturridge did when he went to Bolton have they. Kakuta seems to have barely made an impact...really need him on the left, so Mata can play the free role.
Jack

Some good debate/suggestions in here. Glad to see everyone contributing. We'll have to revisit this after Villa match.
Mikeyfoucs

No need to sign a middling player. Maybe Milos Krasic if the fee is right, but we aren't going to win anything this year, so build slowly around our young core: Mata, Sturridge, Ramires, Luiz and Romeu. Let these guys jell and develop leadership qualities. Give more playing time to Lukaku. See if Torres still has anything, secure a top 4 finish, then give AVB the money needed to bring in a Hazard, Gotze, Cavani or Hulk type, world-class attacking player to push us over the top. Piazon, Kakuta can come back into the side next year if they are in form. It is clear that Striker and creative midfield are where we lack most--Torres has 6 months to prove himself. Same for Essien when he is back. When Ramires isn't in the middle, we struggle, especially if defenders stay tight on Mata, who doesn't have the pace to get past people. Although Ramires isn't a creative player, he's an energiser who makes plays out of nothing.
SOMNATH

Instead of going for Gary Cahill Chelsea should go for Matt Hummels of Borossia in order to strengthen central defence
Jack

I would normally agree, because Hummels is a rock, but I'm not sure how you fit him into our side. He's not going to be first-choice (at the moment), so I'd doubt he'd want to move.
tony

Kaka
Mateo

how come no one mentions Elia?, future best winger of the world, very similar to stugde
Jack

I must be one of the few that doesn't rate Elia. I think there are far better targets out there, starting with Gaston and Lucas among others.
CharlieFineman

Same here, I somehow think Elia might turn out to be the next Ryan Babel.
Jar_k2000

Would gladly welcome that Belgian dude who play who plays with a left foot and currently at Fulham the guy is gonna be a star the sort of guy we need at Chelsea for passing and opening up defenses. Dembele is his name go for him Chelsea strong on the ball and versatile.
Jack

I'm a fan of Dembele as well. Not sure where he fits into our system though, particularly as move closer to playing Mata in the hole behind the striker. Either way, he would be a nice addition if he would be interested in playing a role where he wouldn't start regularly.
Kartago

Cahill is almost ready for Chelsea and if we can bring a striker in like Cavani,Higuain and of course Hulk( but he is to expensive i think) then we have a superb team and then we will win the league or at least 2.place1!
KTBFFH

I think we should secure the Gary Cahill deal and get Moutinho from Porto, decent playmaker.
We should sell Alex, Mikel and Kalou. They're too slow to stay in the Premier League.
If we can get Moutinho, we should change all the set-up of the team and play 4-2-3-1.
Cech
Ivanovic - Cahill - Terry - David Luiz(yes at left-back)
Ramires - Romeu
Sturridge - Moutinho - Mata
Torres (if he stays like this we should buy a striker)
Sean Finnegan

We need a creative midfielder so desperately. I cast my vote for Wesley Sneijder.
USABLUE

Hulk wants to work with AVB, Hazard is either going to Chelsea or Real Madrid and hopefully Higuan will join aswell.
Gary

I think we need a Sturridge type creature for the left.
Imagine stretching the opposition to that extent on both wings while Torres
holds the middle. Here we are talking of a left sided striker who will replace
Malouda. Now I know I will get comments from the peanut gallery for my
suggestion, and I may agree with many of them, but I think Neymar is the best
man for this job. I know the kid has some personality issues, but we’re not
looking for a pub chat, we are looking for goals (same as City with Balotelli).
Neymar is confident (boy do we need that), fast, tricky, creative, unbelievably
accurate on goal. Personality aside, I think his style is comparable to a young
Ryan Giggs, albeit with some superior ball skill (imagine that). I don’t know what
his availability looks like right now. But I think he is past all the
tournaments he hoped to complete with Santos. I also think he would slot right
into our increasingly Portuguese club (Meireles
said it was like playing for Portugal) especially
with the recent additions of Brazilians, Ramires and Luiz. Whoever the mystery
one more player is, I think he should be under 23 (able to give ten years
service) and playing for his national team.
Sidthecoolkid

some guy down the comments mentioned lucas moura... that kid is absolutely brilliant!!!
Jack

Lucas would have been my choice had I thought we had a chance of signing him this window. His ceiling is insane. I would much rather pursue him than Neymar at this point.
Thomas Hoppe

Torres plus two Sturridge would explain why Barcelona don't play out and out central forwards. They are selfish and waste chances
Ryan

Do you really think Cavani won't come to Chelsea, or do you just mean this window? I think he's a perfect Drogba replacement. Plus, the Chelsea vs. Liverpool matches will become a battle of the Uruguayans, and that's just awesome.
Sidthecoolkid

i dont think he will come... napoli are building something and he wants to be a part of it... personally i think he is overrated and suarez is much better... and there are better players out there... personally i would love if we could get ozil and/or gotze...
Thomas Hoppe

Cavani is nothing like Drogba. Go back to the LFC offside
Ryan

Oh what great insight you have. I meant well and you know it. This is a blog, not a pub.
Jack

Come on Thomas, Ryan can have his opinion. This is, as he says, a blog not a lecture. Plus, it's not like Ryan has ever come over here to troll. Seems a good man to me.

As for Cavani, I was simply stating that I can't see any way he moves this window. What kind of signal would Napoli send out by doing so? I also don't think he's a like for like with Drogba; that's not to say I wouldn't take him in a heartbeat as a replacement in the summer.
Ryan

Thanks Jack. I always come in peace. You do a great job around here, and so did Devin.

And yes, he's definitely staying at Napoli. You guys obviously know Drogba better than I do, But Cavani's got headers, long shots, and footskills, which seems hard to come by in strong hardworking strikers these days(Carroll...ugh). He might not be identical to Drogba but he's got a much better chance of replicating his presence, in a way that Torres can't do, even when in form. Lukaku probably can, but in a few more years.

I see a big striker move in the future, someone like Cavani, Falcao, or Pato. The fans have got to be let down by Torres, so the loss of Drogba in the next year has got to be compensated for. World class Drogba for world class whoever. So I don't think a striker will be coming in this winter unless Roman jumps on the whole Pato thing.

As for the winter, with Malouda getting his french fries in a knot, and Mata looking destined to help with the lethargic midfield problem, another winger looks likely(Maxi is not for sale!!). There's rumours that Di Maria has money issues with Real Madrid, but then he'd have even money issues with Chelsea. I'm with everyone else on Junior Hoilett, or the dream signing would be someone like Reus. But that sounds more like a summer thing with him.
Faez Rancho

junior hoilett (cheap, usefull and experience ini BPL) or,
iker muniain (young, very talented) or,
isaac cuenca (cheap, young, talented)...
Faez Rancho

junior hoilett (cheap and usefull) or iker muniain (great talent).
CharlieFineman

Did anyone see the typical 'let's BLOW THIS SHIT OUT OF PROPORTION' in the papers lately? Apparently, Modric recently gave an interview, with the clichéd 'everything is possible' quote on his future, the hacks picked it up, and now it's 'Modric alerts Chelsea and United'. Nonsense.
CharlieFineman

Jack, seeing as Ramirez is Uruguayan, and still only 21, wouldn't it be hard for him to get a permit? I'm not too sure about the rules, it's just you always hear stories about such and such not being able to play in the UK, unless he played a certain amount of games for his country?
Thomas Hoppe

he plays in Serie A, so it's not a concern
Jack

I'm with Thomas. If Ryo Miyachi can get a permit, I fail to see how Ramirez could not.
CharlieFineman

I'd like to see Javi Martinez in blue, a young guy with ability, who probably wouldn't cost that much (although there were rumors of at least 25-30m). He could start straight away, or be slowly eased in the starting XI, and I think he is the kind of guy we're missing. An engine.

And as Dave said earlier, Essien should be back pretty soon, although he seems to be on the decline.
Dave

Michael Essien.
Jack

I trust you are referring to 2007-08 Essien. If we get that guy back in the mix, I'll shit my pants.
Gianfranco

AVB said he'll only maybe make 1 more signing after Cahill so as Cahill is Alex's replacement, a winger or a striker would be an ideal replacement for Anelka. I'd prefer Hazard but apparently Citeh are bidding 25m for him in Jan then will send him back on loan until the summer however the president of the club wants 30m straight up. I think Hazard will join a European giant in the summer. Hopefully us. I see us going for Cavani or Higuain. Cavani is the better option in my opinion however he is less likely to leave as he is in great form at Napoli and said he'd only consider his future in the summer. Also, Napoli selling him to us would show no ambition towards their CL tie with us. I can see Higuain arriving. Great, young player. Proven European talent. Has a great record at Madrid even though he's not first choice. And he's unhappy being second fiddle to Benzema. However, those 2 are their only great strikers and this can be a disadvantage but I do think we will sign him. I wouldn't be surprised if our only January signings are Cahill and someone like De Bruyne. That would leave me a bit disappointed.

KTBFFH!
Jake Gold Lion Westergaard

If we don't get Neymar, i'll consider it a good January. Actually, I'll consider it a good existence for the famous CFC. I fucking hate that c**t. We need some respectable players: Reus, Eriksen, Moutinho, De Bruyne. Does anyone else get as hard over transfer rumours as i do? Just sayin'
Seth

yes. i do.
Reus is my top suggestion too. van der Wiel aint a bad option either.
Chelsea4Life

Álvaro Pereira Would Be A Good Repalcement For A.Cole, And Hummels For Terry (Cahil Is Overrated)

Also We Need A Striker, Hulk, Pato, Higuain, Neymar, I Would Be Happy With One Of These

And A Creative Midfielder In Gotze Or Hazard Or Moutinho!
Jack

Um, no disrespect, but I wasn't really asking how you would rebuild the team if you had an infinite amount of money.

This was more about identifying that one high-ceiling prospect that you think would actually move in the winter window. Care to narrow it down and give us one name you'd really like to see at the club come the end of January?
orthodoxyordeath

Sell Malouda! Do it!
cfcfan

Marco Reus definitely. He is outstanding player, 22y old, not cup-tied, can play on the wing, as attacker and as attacking midfielder... His price is 14.000.000 euros. This is his season and Chelsea must get this player. Along with Mata and Sturridge as well as Romeu, Piazon, Djalo and Lukaku he will be the player of the future, believe me.

http://www.transfermarkt.de/en...
F Mueller

Konko-Lazio as a rightback
Mac

lucas moura
Jack

Monster talent. Doubt he'll move in January, but we are apparently interested in him which is a positive sign.
Thomas Hoppe

What about Lucas Piezone? Both...that is chaos
Jack

It would be most appealing. Piazon and Lucas are two very different types of creative players. That would be awesome to watch.
Ben

Gylfi Sigurdsson at Hoffenheim. Can play either wings or behind the striker, good at dribbling. Fantastic crosses, long shots and freekicks. Joined for £7.5m from Reading in 2010, so has experience in England. YouTube him, decent talent.
Jack

Sigurdsson has apparently joined Swansea on loan. Great pick-up by Brendan.
Jack

A fine player. Haven't seen much of him since his move to Germany, but did catch a fair bit of him at Reading. Not quite sure he would give us that specialness we require, though.
Ben

In fact, there you go:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...