Chelsea Transfer News: Pursuit of Marco van Ginkel Highlights Unrest in Midfield

With the status of John Obi Mikel and Oriol Romeu up in the air, Chelsea is working on backup plans for the midfield this summer. 

That was highlighted when Mandeep Sanghera of BBC Sport reported on Tuesday that Chelsea had been talking with young Vitesse Arnhem midfielder Marco van Ginkel.

Sky Sports' Paulo Freitas reported on Tuesday that Mikel could leave Stamford Bridge this summer. The 26-year-old hinted at a move, saying: "In football you can never guess, one day you are here, the next day you might leave."

Romeu has been linked to a variety of teams, from Sevilla to Real Betis, via ESPNFC.com.

Valued at £8 million, according to the BBC Sport report, Van Ginkel was a star for Vitesse Arnhem last season, notching eight goals in 33 appearances on the pitch. The 20-year-old—most known for his shooting touch, discipline and vision—also notched an assist in the U-21 European Championship for the Netherlands.

He is under contract with Vitesse Arnhem until 2015.

Chelsea, which has already acquired Bayer Leverkusen and Germany forward Andre Schurrle this summer, appears to be making steps to ensure the club is still in decent shape if Mikel and Romeu depart. Schurrle notched 11 goals and seven assists in the Bundesliga last season.

The Blues finished in the top four last season in the Premier League, behind Manchester United and Manchester City. The club won the EPL in 2009-10 but finished second in 2010-11, sixth in 2011-12 and third last season.

The club is hoping it can continue to fight for the league trophy.

Van Ginkel would be another fine addition this season for the Blues. He's only 20 years old, and he's already garnering serious interest from some top-flight EPL teams. He only figures to get better, already displaying the skills to translate to one of the best football leagues in the world.

Down the road, Van Ginkel's price tag of £8 million may turn out to be a bargain.