Chelsea Transfer News: Big-Name Players Tipped for Stamford Bridge Move

During the early stages of the campaign, Chelsea have been a wonderful side to watch. They've played with purpose, poise and a refreshing edge in their opening seven games and can be rightfully considered the favourites for the Premier League crown this season.

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But if we're being picky, the one area of the team that could probably improve—somewhat surprisingly for a Jose Mourinho side—is the defence. The Blues have already let in seven goals this season and seem to have abandoned some of their defensive principles in order to play a much more open and expansive style of football.

That's wonderful for the neutral, of course. But for the Portuguese boss, you suspect it's an issue he'll be looking to resolve pretty quickly. So it's no surprise to see Chelsea linked with January moves for two up-and-coming defenders. Here's the latest on those rumoured targets, but first, an update on the future of a potentially departing Stamford Bridge legend.

Roma Plotting A Move For Petr Cech

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Despite losing their first game of the season to Juventus last time out, Roma have impressed plenty with their vibrant displays in Europe and Serie A so far.

Their performances are a product of some big moves in the transfer market, and they look set to maintain their lofty ambitions with a move for the Chelsea goalkeeper according to Il Tempo (h/t Vaishali Bhardwaj of Metro).

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Cech has found himself down the Blues' pecking order for the first time in his decade at Stamford Bridge, with Thibaut Courtois clearly Mourinho’s preferred choice in goal. Understandably, a keeper of the calibre of Cech—who is still just 32 years old—doesn’t want to be sitting on the bench.

The Czech Republic international admitted earlier this month to Czech radio (h/t Metro) that he may consider leaving the Blues if more opportunities don’t materialise:

"

I think they know me well enough at Chelsea to know that the situation is definitely not the way I would imagine.

With the European Championships in 2016 and the national team in mind, there is no time for me to sit on the bench and not to play.

I have not spoken to anybody at the club but if the situation will not start to improve for me then I will want to solve it.

"

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For Cech, this must be a very difficult situation. He is a man who has sampled myriad successes with the Blues during his time at the club and is clearly a unanimously popular figure at Stamford Bridge. If he was do go, it would be tough for him, but with the departures of Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole last summer, Chelsea are motoring toward a new era; Cech could well be the next casualty.

But strength in depth is vital for a team challenging on all fronts, as noted here by Analyse Football:

"

Having to replace your star keeper with Petr Cech. That's why Chelsea will win the league this season.

— Analyse Football (@AnalyseFootball) October 5, 2014"

Nevertheless, Cech is a fine goalkeeper and should be playing regular football. If he was to move to Roma his experience and ability would be invaluable; he’d be joining a team that are clearly on the up, too. If the Giallorossi came calling at this stage of his career, you suspect the Chelsea stopper would have to give it some serious consideration.

Seamus Coleman Targeted

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The Blues are reportedly willing to part with £20 million to acquire the services of the Irish full-back who enjoyed a magnificent 2013/14 season with Everton. 

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The former Sligo Rovers man signed a new deal with the Toffees in the summer after being named as the club’s player of the year, and according to David Wright of the Sunday Express, his effervescent displays on the right flank have alerted some of Europe’s most illustrious names, including Manchester United and Chelsea.

Coleman has been out of the Everton side for the past few weeks with a concussion injury, and Roberto Martinez’s side have struggled to replicate his influence. Not only is the Irishman a tenacious tackler and diligent defender, but he’s a persistent and effective attacking threat, as noted here by WhoScored.com:

It’s easy to see why Mourinho would be keen on a player like Coleman given his attributes, but don’t Chelsea have enough options in that position? Branislav Ivanovic and Cesar Azpilicueta are two of the best full-backs in the league after all, and even a player of Coleman's quality could find them difficult to displace.

Everton are renowned for being especially stubborn when it comes to selling players, so if Chelsea are looking to get Coleman involved—given he’s a player who’s signed a five-year deal with the club recently—you suspect they’ll have to pay top dollar. With those factors considered, this one looks a non-starter.

Chelsea Keeping Tabs On Antonio Rudiger

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After impressing in the Stuttgart back four this season, the German international defender has reportedly emerged as a target for the Blues. According to Daily Star Sunday, Chelsea are looking to bolster their back four and see the £7 million-rated Rudiger as better value than Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane.

According to the piece, Chelsea feel as though young talents Kurt Zouma and Andreas Christensen are still raw, but 21-year-old Rudiger represents a much more refined talent capable of doing a mature job in the first team.

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West Ham were reportedly interested in the young defender in the summer but were apparently put off by his price tag. But after impressing in his seven appearances at centre-back so far this season in the Bundesliga, per WhoScored, his stock has risen and seemingly alerted the attentions of some of Europe’s most illustrious outfits, including the Blues.

Stylistically, Rudiger is very much a modern central defender. He’s a capable technician, enjoys bringing the ball out of defence to start attacks and is astute in possession, as illustrated by his 83.7 percent pass success rate, per WhoScored. But he's also an excellent defender and belies his years when it comes to physicality and on-field positioning.

Still, Chelsea have plenty of options at the back, and although Rudiger is catching the eye this season, don’t expect any imminent move for the player. Mourinho is well aware of the value of having defensive solidity, and while Rudiger could eventually emerge as a long-term replacement for someone like John Terry, the young German is not ready to fill those boots quite yet.