Chelsea Transfer News: Megamoney Deals on Jose Mourinho's Radar

As if a attacking line-up of Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas and Eden Hazard isn’t indulgent enough, Chelsea are reportedly looking to strengthen their attacking options with another world-class talent.

That’s after reports have suggested that the Blues are leading a clutch of the Premier League’s elite names in the race to sign Marco Reus from Borussia Dortmund. According the Izzy Horsefield of the Express, Jose Mourinho’s side are ahead of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United in a battle for the forward, who has a rumoured £25 million buyout clause in his contract.

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Horsefield claimed that Chelsea are considering using Reus’ compatriot, Andre Schurrle, as a makeweight in any potential deal after his poor start to the season. The piece also suggests that Real Madrid are keen on bring the Dortmund man to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Here’s a look at why Reus’ signature is in such high demand among European football's royalty:

Reus would be an undeniable upgrade on Schurrle should the two trade places, and he’s a player that’s been at the heart of Dortmund’s recent successes under the tutelage of Jurgen Klopp. But with Die Borussen languishing in the lower reaches of the Bundesliga and a release clause set to become active soon, Reus looks on the brink of a Westfalenstadion departure.

Speaking earlier in the week to TZ (h/t Chris Waugh of the Daiiy Mail), German football icon Franz Beckenbauer paid tribute to Reus’ class, but insisted Dortmund have the requisite talent to manage without him.

"They still have plenty of other great players, although Reus is obviously an important player for Dortmund," he said. "When there's so much talk about a player, it means that he is an extraordinary player and that's most certainly the case with Reus."

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There’s little denying Reus is an extraordinary player. If he was to complete a switch to Stamford Bridge, he’d be joining an extraordinary team. An attacking midfield triumvirate of Reus, Hazard and Oscar is a tantalising prospect, and should the German international make the switch, Chelsea would have one of the best attacks on the planet.

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The Blues’ hopes of signing another dynamic attacking talent look to have been dented though, with Simon Jones of the Daily Mail suggesting that CSKA Moscow hit man Seydou Doumbia is in talks about a new deal with the Russian outfit. 

Here’s a look at why the Ivory Coast international is so highly thought of:

The £15 million-rated forward has impressed plenty with his dynamic displays this season, perhaps most notably when netting a brace against Manchester City in a 2-1 victory at the Etihad Stadium. While his short-term future looks likely to be in Moscow, the player’s agent, Jean Bernard Beytrison, has confirmed there has been interest from Premier League teams, per Jones' piece:

"

We are currently in negotiations over a new contract. There is plenty of interest in Seydou from England plus clubs in Spain, Germany and Italy. He is a goalscorer and there aren't many of them around. However, he is contracted to CSKA and clubs will have to pay their fee.

"

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Doumbia is a physically imposing and a forensically clinical centre-forward, but at this juncture he’s not really a player that Chelsea need. Mourinho already has Costa, Didier Drogba and Loic Remy as striking options, and three players represents more than enough cover for a manager that typically deploys a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-5-1 formation.

Here’s how Doumbia compares to Chelsea’s leading scorer, Costa, in the early stages of the season:

	Doumbia	Costa
Appearances (Sub)	5 (5)	9
Goals	6	10
Assists	0	0
Average Shots Per Game	2.2	3.1
Average Key Passes Per Game	0.7	2
Average Dribbles Per Game	1.1	1.2

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Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are also keen on the striker, according to Jones’ piece. For the 26-year-old's development as a player, a move to any of those three clubs would be a better option than Chelsea at this point in his career.

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Chelsea’s attempts to bolster their back line with a World Cup winner also look as though they’ve been levied a blow, with Gerard Pique insisting he has absolutely no intention of leaving Barcelona.

The Blues have been linked with a move for the Spanish international defender, per Ben Jefferson of the Express. Despite being on the periphery of the Blaugrana's first team under the tutelage of Luis Enrique, Pique told Movistar TV (h/t Hamish Mackay of the Daily Mail) that he doesn’t foresee a move away from Catalonia any time soon:

"

I think not to play two or three matches (and then leave) would not be consistent. Barcelona is my life and I do not plan to leave. I will continue to fight for a place.

It's a player-coach relationship, he is the one who decides and players try to do what he wants from us.

"

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With Barcelona unable to sign any players until the expiration of their ban on incoming transfers, letting a player of Pique’s quality and experience walk out the Nou Camp door would be seriously misguided. And with the player seemingly intent on sticking around, this deal doesn’t look likely to be happening any time soon.

Chelsea are pretty well-stocked defensively, so Pique wouldn’t be a necessary purchase by any means. But should the Spaniard’s relationship with Enrique deteriorate further and he did become available, you suspect Mourinho would be very interested in the 27-year-old and the host of positive attributes he would potentially bring with him to Stamford Bridge.