Chelsea Transfer News: Douglas Costa Bid Renewed, Latest Sami Khedira Rumours

Chelsea have reportedly made an offer to land Shakhtar Donetsk star Douglas Costa at the end of the season after a failed bid to sign the Brazilian in January.

According to Le Sport 10 (h/t Jamie Sanderson of Metro), the Blues have already made their interest in the player concrete by making an offer. It is claimed that the Ukrainian giants want a fee of £22 million for their man and that Paris Saint-Germain are also keen on Costa’s signature.

Here’s a look at the kind of qualities Costa could add to this Chelsea squad:

Shakhtar have developed a penchant for acquiring burgeoning talent before selling them on to the flushest clubs in Europe, with stars like Fernandinho, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Willian all giving them a hefty profit on their various investments down the years. Eventually, you suspect a player like Costa will go the same way.

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The 24-year-old star was also recently unashamed in admitting that he could have easily joined the Blues and in his admiration for manager Jose Mourinho, per Cassio Santestevan of Goal.com:

"

Yes, I had a contact [with Chelsea] and the chance to work with a coach like Jose Mourinho always motivates a player. I am very grateful for the kindness he showed with me.

He is a very smart coach and who won [titles] wherever he has gone.

"

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It’s probably the right time for Costa to be thinking about his future away from Shakhtar. He has the quality to make a major impression at an elite European club, and his dynamism, industry and eye for an incisive pass would make him an asset to the vast majority of teams on the continent. But arguably not the Blues.

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While he seems enamoured by the chance to play at Stamford Bridge, it’s a move that could be detrimental to his development. After all, vying for a spot in the team alongside Eden Hazard, Oscar, Willian, Cesc Fabregas and Juan Cuadrado would surely reduce his playing time, and as such, it’s a move Costa should approach very tentatively.

Another player who is reportedly on Chelsea’s radar this summer is Sami Khedira. The Real Madrid man looks set to leave La Liga with his contract expiring at the end of the season, and naturally, there are a clutch of clubs—including the Blues and Arsenal, per Ben Burrows of the Mirror—that are interested in landing the German World Cup winner on a free.

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Schalke are the latest side to make their interest in the player known, after the club’s sporting director Horst Heldt told Kicker (h/t Stephan Uersfeld of ESPN FC) that Khedira would be an ideal acquisition: "Of course, Sami Khedira would look good with Schalke. And we'd certainly take him if he were on the market. But let's not get carried away. There are many clubs who can imagine working with Sami."

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

It’s a deal Alex Chaffer of FourFourTwo can see coming to fruition:

The Bundesliga outfit actually triumphed 4-3 over Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League tie. The result meant that Los Blancos did still progress to the quarter-finals, but a host of players—Khedira included—came in for heavy criticism from the Madridistas.

The midfielder told Sky (h/t Uersfeld) that this is nothing new to him and admitted there are plenty of options for him to explore further down the line:

"

I have also been booed when I came off the bench. I am fully aware of the fact that I am not a fan favourite here.

I will give it my all for the club until the last minute, and what happens in the summer is still a long way off. I am open for many things.

"

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Mourinho is a manager who will know Khedira’s qualities well after their time together at the Santiago Bernabeu, and arguably he’s exactly the kind of player they need to complement Nemanja Matic at the heart of midfield. Not only is the German defensively robust, but he can surge forward with the ball, pick out passes and score goals too.

The prospect of working with Mourinho would also surely appeal to Khedira, especially given that he’d play a key role at the base of this Chelsea midfield. They look set to face stern competition for his signature, but the Blues should ensure they’re at the forefront of the chase for this rumbustious midfield star.