Chelsea Transfers: 5 Latest Names Linked to the Blues

The summer transfer window has been a relatively quiet one for Chelsea so far. The Blues have bid farewell to 12 players whose contracts expired and have welcomed in Marco van Ginkel, Andre Schurrle and Cristian Cuevas.

Despite Jose Mourinho’s assertion to the BBC that the Blues only have one further transfer target this summer, they are still being linked with players across the continent.

Here are the five latest names linked with the Europa League champions as of July 29.

Luiz Gustavo

Bayern Munich’s Brazilian midfielder, Luiz Gustavo, has been linked with a move to both Chelsea and Arsenal. Dave Kidd of the Mirror reported that Jose Mourinho is unconvinced by the performances of John Obi Mikel in the holding role and is looking for a long-term replacement.

Gustavo’s chances at Bayern will be limited following the signing of Thiago Alcantara from Barcelona, and the 26-year-old will want to play regularly ahead of the 2014 World Cup. The Mirror have reported that Chelsea are ready to table a £15 million bid despite Gustavo stating that he will be staying in Munich in this report by Ben Jefferson of the Express.

It certainly makes sense for Mourinho to try to sign Gustavo, as the defensive side of midfield does need strengthening. However, Bayern chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge believes that the Bundesliga champions will begin the 2013-14 season with no further changes to their squad, making a deal highly unlikely.

Daniele De Rossi

Another holding midfielder who has been linked with the Blues over the course of the summer so far is 29-year-old Roma star Daniele De Rossi.

Despite making over 400 appearances for his boyhood club, De Rossi spent last season on the fringes of the squad and was left out of the preseason training camp which began on July 12.

According to the Daily Star's Gary Jones, Chelsea are the front-runners to sign De Rossi, with a fee rumoured to be in the region of £10 million. Jose Mourinho has long been an admirer of the Italian, and Roma’s financial woes mean that a deal could well be done before the end of the summer.

Wayne Rooney

Manchester United’s wantaway striker Wayne Rooney is Jose Mourinho’s only remaining transfer target of the summer, as the man himself stated on July 17. This report from Simon Mullock of the Mirror says United have made it very clear that they are unwilling to let the striker go to their Premier League rivals and would favour a bid from a foreign club.

However, Chelsea are banking on a hostile reception for Rooney at Rio Ferdinand’s testimonial match forcing the Red Devils to let him leave. An improved bid of £25 million is on the cards, with the Blues ready to go as high as £30 million to secure the striker’s services for next season.

Whilst all the rhetoric points to Rooney remaining at United, history should teach us that when it comes to Chelsea making big-money moves, anything is possible.

Luis Suarez

The Guardian's Andy Hunter reports that Luis Suarez has told Liverpool he wants to leave the club following another controversy-filled season for the striker. It may seem bizarre that Chelsea are prepared to bid for a player who is currently serving a 10-match ban for biting Branislav Ivanovic, but if Manchester United stand firm over Wayne Rooney, the Blues could be forced to look elsewhere.

There is no doubt that Suarez can provide goals; however, his appalling disciplinary record throughout his career adds a level of risk to any deal.

Although Ivanovic has said that he would have no problem playing in the same side as Suarez, according to Sam Wallace of The Independent, signing a player who will miss the first six games of the season seems would be the ultimate exercise in futility for the Blues.

Didier Drogba

It’s like deja vu all over again, as the return of Jose Mourinho has sparked a rumour that Didier Drogba will join the man who motivated him to achieve great success at Chelsea.

The 35-year-old striker left Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2012 after the club were unwilling to offer him a deal for more than one further year. However, Matt Law of the Mirror is reporting that Mourinho wants to bring Drogba back to London in a player-coach role for the remainder of his career.

Such a move would be welcomed by Chelsea fans and would no doubt further the development of young strikers Romelu Lukaku and Islam Feruz. If a deal can be reached with Galatasaray, Mourinho could reunite Chelsea fans with the player who gave them their most glorious night to date.