Chelsea Transfer Rumours: Luiz Gustavo Would Represent Great Value for Blues

Although it seemed like Chelsea's focus this summer has been for a striker, the club is also looking in other areas to improve the club. 

One possible addition is Bayern Munich midfielder Luiz Gustavo, who is reportedly a favorite of new manager Jose Mourinho, according to Dave Kidd of Mirror Football:

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Chelsea are ready to table a £15million bid for Bayern Munich midfielder Luiz Gustavo. Returning boss Jose Mourinho has prioritised the signing of a holding midfield player for the Stamford Bridge club.

He has doubts about John Obi Mikel’s ability to play in that role.

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While John Obi Mikel has played well at times in his career with Chelsea, it is hard to deny his inconsistency. Last season, he only started 19 Premier League matches and would sometimes appear ineffective while on the pitch.

This makes adding a player like Gustavo that much more important. The experienced midfielder is one of the best in the world at his position thanks to his great tackling ability and a knack for hitting long shots when given the opportunity.

Additionally, he has been a part of plenty of team success over the past year. Not only was he a key player on Bayern's treble-winning squad last season, but he also started for Brazil's victorious Confederations Cup final side this summer.

On both rosters, he was overshadowed by more high-profile players. However, he still played a huge role with his steady perfromances, and he could bring the same winning attitude to Chelsea.

A move would also be beneficial to Gustavo, who could end up seeing his playing time reduced next year due to the signing of Thiago Alcantara. Despite his talent, the logjam on the roster is certain to force new manager Pep Guardiola to take away starts from each player.

Even though the midfielder publicly stated that he is not planning a move out of Bayern to German newspaper tz (via ESPN), the opportunity to get regular playing time on a high-profile squad might be hard to pass up, especially in a World Cup year.

If Chelsea are able to convince Gustavo to switch teams, he would be an absolute bargain for £15 million. It would not prevent the club from making another major move this year and would not force anyone to leave. Of course, it could lead to the end of Mikel's career at Stamford Bridge.

This deal makes sense for all parties involved. Bayern could free up room on the roster, Chelsea can get an elite player, and Gustavo could get more exposure with a Premier League club.

It will not be easy to get this done, with both Arsenal and Wolfsburg going after him according to the Daily Mirror, but it is a transfer that should be completed if possible.

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