Chelsea Transfer News: Daniele De Rossi Is a Great Fit for Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho’s new era is well and truly in motion at Chelsea, with new signings Mark Schwarzer, Marco van Ginkel and Andre Schuerrle already added to his squad.

That trio should all make a suitable impact this season, but it’s unlikely Mourinho will stop there in his quest to strengthen the squad and forge his own identity on his new roster.

According to the Daily Mail, Roma’s Daniele De Rossi is poised for a move to Stamford Bridge, which would make considerable sense for the Londoners.

David Kent reports that the Italian would cost £11 million and would take Oriol Romeu’s place in the squad, while any deal could also see Wallace make a loan move to Roma as part of the agreement.

Journalist Tancredi Palmeri has also confirmed on Twitter that there's been contact:

De Rossi has been widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in world football over the past several years and would be a typical buy for Mourinho.

While his game is defined by the kind of fiery passion Chelsea's new manager craves, away from the darker, defensive arts of the game, the Italian can be an underrated creative influence and reads the game better than most.

He is versatile enough to perform a number of midfield roles for his team, and even slot into defence, but he currently fares best when used as a midfielder with more defensive responsibility—a role that has been key in so many Mourinho teams.

Michael Essien, Claude Makelele, Esteban Cambiasso and Sami Khedira are just some of the midfielders to have flourished in similar defensive roles and, should Chelsea follow through with this apparent interest, De Rossi could be next on this list.

John Obi Mikel is currently considered Chelsea’s premier defensive midfielder, but the Nigerian is not of the same calibre of De Rossi and hasn't consistently dominated enough key games to guarantee his selection.

Simon Jones of the Daily Mail has also linked Mikel away from Stamford Bridge this summer, which perhaps explains such interest in De Rossi.

A World Cup winner with Italy, De Rossi has lifted the Coppa Italia twice, but his loyalty to Roma has meant a domestic league title has so far eluded him. He has finished as a runner-up an agonising five times since his debut in 2001.

The Italian possesses all the qualities in his game and personality that suggest a partnership with Mourinho would be an exciting and successful collaboration at Chelsea.

Should De Rossi indeed move to Stamford Bridge, given the open nature of the Premier League this season and the fact Mourinho is now leading Chelsea's charge, the Italian could have his best chance of becoming a league champion.