Chelsea Transfer News: Blues Must Outduel Manchester City for Taison

Just when Chelsea committed to bringing in a new face, Taison Freda, Manchester City has reportedly joined the race for the Metalist Kharkiv’s player, according to John Cross of the Daily Mirror. 

Dominic Fifield of The Guardian reported on Jan. 7 that the Ukrainian club upped the bid to £11 million to acquire the Brazilian midfielder.

This new Manchester City twist could up the ante even more for Chelsea who hopes to acquire the coveted Taison.

Rafael Benitez, Chelsea’s interim manager, has already inked Demba Ba to a deal to bring him to Stamford Bridge. But netting a player of Taison’s caliber would turn the young January transfer period into an early success.

Cross noted that Benfica and Shakhtar Donetsk also inquired about the midfielder, and that these new development would surely increase the asking price. He said that Metalist are now seeking £13 million.

Chelsea’s struggles will likely continue even if Benitez does ward off City and brings the Brazilian midfielder to Stamford Bridge.

Expectations for his side have been tempered after some early struggles in European competition.

"When you have a good squad you can manage players, you can keep a good team on the pitch, as has been the case at Chelsea in the last few years,” Benitez said, according to Martin Lipton of the Daily Mirror.

But this season, the star power isn’t the same for his squad. He’s clearly accepted the limitations of his side and is ready to compete at the best of their ability.

"This year, you can see, is a year of transition. There were some new players coming in, so it's different,” he said, according to Lipton.

With Frank Lampard on his way out the door during the summer, acquiring as many competent and potential replacements is certainly not a bad thing.

This year may have become a “transition” season, but the future is always on the mind of these clubs.

Most of this year’s struggles have come from the large amount of changes across the roster. It’s going to take some time for the new-look side to gel and develop into its own style.

Losing out on Taison could hurt the English team in the future, especially if he ends up developing and becoming a solid attacker for rivals Manchester City.