Chelsea Transfer News: Paul Pogba Hope Grows, Oscar Key to Latest Rumours

Chelsea are reportedly in the box seat to sign Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba, but they may have to part with Brazilian midfielder Oscar if they’re to finalise a deal.  

According to Tuttomercatoweb (h/t Anthony Chapman of the Daily Express), the Blues are leading the pursuit of the Bianconeri sensation, with Manchester City and Manchester United also apparently keen. But the piece claims Oscar must trade London for Turin if the transfer is going to happen.

Here’s how the two players have fared in direct comparison this season during league matches:

	Oscar	Pogba
Apps (Sub)	26 (2)	22 (2)
Goals	6	8
Assists	8	2
Shots per Game	2.6	2
Key Passes per Game	1.3	1.4
Tackles per Game	1.9	2.4

If Chelsea could potentially land Pogba in the window, it would be a major coup for the Blues. The 22-year-old has all of the attributes to become one of the world’s finest footballers, and alongside Nemanja Matic in the Blues midfield, the Frenchman would bring so much to the league champions.

Marco Luzzani/Getty Images

Indeed, Bleacher Report’s Chelsea correspondent Garry Hayes picked Pogba as one of his dream signings for the summer window:

The former United man is definitely a player that fits the Jose Mourinho template. Not only is he a major force going forward, but as the aforementioned statistics illustrate, he puts a shift in defensively, too. If he was to join the Blues, it’s a side to his game that manager Mourinho would surely help him develop further.

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As has been evident in Juventus’ run to the Champions League final, Pogba is also a player who relishes the big occasion. Musa Okwonga of BBC Sport paid tribute to the Frenchman’s display against Real Madrid in the semi-final, a match that was one of the youngster’s first back from a recent injury layoff:

Nonetheless, Chelsea will still be keen to keep hold of Oscar. The midfielder gives the Blues something different when he occupies the No. 10 position in this side, and while he’s a wonderfully creative player, the Brazilian is another in this squad that’s not ashamed to get stuck in on the defensive side.

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But he's at his best in the attacking third, and as Squawka Football revealed earlier in the campaign, the playmaker is one of the most impactful attacking players in the division:

Mourinho had high praise for the 23-year-old recently, too, insisting we’ll see the best of him next season after a rest this summer, per Matt Lewis of Get West London:

"

Oscar, I don’t have the numbers, but he played everywhere in the last three years at the World Cup, Olympic Games and the Copa America. Now, because he’s not selected because of his injury, he’s going to have a proper rest, a proper holiday and a proper pre-season. ...

I really believe in Oscar’s talent. He did well in the Premier League in the seasons since he came to Chelsea and I have many, many hopes.

"

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

But if the Brazilian can be used to facilitate a transfer for Pogba, you suspect Mourinho would consider it. Oscar is often the first man to make way when Chelsea are playing against a top-quality opponent, with Cesc Fabregas shifted forward and Ramires drafted into the deeper position.

The former Benfica man is a bundle of energy, giving the Blues the cohesiveness Mourinho craves in these big games. But it’s a role that Pogba could also play, while adding the stardust that has made him one of the most exciting talents in world football. As such, if a deal can be struck, the Frenchman would enrich Chelsea’s already formidable aura.