Chelsea Transfer News: Updated Rumours on Wilfried Bony and Marco Reus

Chelsea’s reported pursuit of Wilfried Bony looks to have been a short-lived one, with reports suggesting that the Swansea City man is close to joining Manchester City in a £30 million deal.

According to James Dickenson of the Express, the Blues were poised to hijack the champions’ move for the striker, but as reported below by BBC Sport, he now seems even closer to signing for Manuel Pellegrini’s side:

Jose Mourinho currently has three excellent strikers to call upon and for a manager that plays a system which typically accommodates a sole forward, the benefit in spending a substantial amount on another player in that particular position seems misguided.

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Indeed, football writer Seb Stafford-Bloor questioned whether or not there was ever any genuine interest there from the Blues at all:

Bony is a player that can give City an edge in what is becoming an increasingly intriguing title race between them and the Londoners. But with Diego Costa leading the Chelsea line with distinction at the moment, it looks unlikely that Mourinho will move to bolster a position in which his team is already well stocked for options.

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

If Mourinho is going to do any business at all in the January window it looks likely to be other areas of the team. According to Charles Perrin of the Express, the Portuguese boss is hoping to bolster his options on the right side of midfield and, subsequently, Marco Reus and Juan Cuadrado are targets for the Stamford Bridge outfit.

Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images

That could come at the expense of Andre Schurrle, according to Perrin’s piece. But as quoted in the article, the German international winger seems intent on sticking around in London fighting for his place in the team:

"

In a phase with less playing time, transfer rumours are always coming up.

Of course I want to be on the pitch as much as possible and score goals for my club.

In a team like Chelsea with many top players you have to prove yourself again and again. 

"

Reus is a player who’s name has stirred plenty of speculation when it comes to a transfer; Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe took a look at what he could potentially add to the Chelsea team:

According to Perrin, Chelsea will look to activate the £20 million release clause in Reus’ contract in an attempt to lure him away from the clutches of Real Madrid. That figure becomes active this summer and given Dortmund’s current predicament—they’re languishing down in 17th place in the Bundesliga—it’s difficult to see why they would sell him midseason.

Indeed, pundit Jan Aage Fjortoft doesn’t see a situation by which Dortmund would sell their key man in January:

If Chelsea can somehow lure Reus to Stamford Bridge—whether in January or the summer—he’d be a wonderful purchase. He has the dynamism, energy and quality to be a real success in the Premier League and although Los Blancos command a considerable gravitas, playing time would surely be much more readily available to him with the Blues.

Fabrizio Giovannozzi/Associated Press

But with a host of sides reportedly interested in the Dortmund man, Cuadrado may be a more attainable target; here’s a look at what he could potentially add to the Mourinho machine:

Cuadrado is a wonderfully effervescent talent and a player who is very much of the orthodox winger model. His versatility is also something that would really appeal to Mourinho, for the Colombian can operate across the front line, in midfield and as a full-back, too, if needed. 

Fiorentina would surely want a hefty amount for their man, however, especially if they were going to sell him midseason. With that in mind, Chelsea look as though they have little chance of landing a transfer in January, but when the summer rolls around, Cuadrado’s raw, skilful wing play is the kind of talent Mourinho should be looking at to give his side a refreshing attacking edge.