Chelsea Transfer News: Bernardo Silva and Nolito Rumours Emerge

Chelsea have reportedly joined Juventus and Manchester City in the race for AS Monaco star midfielder Bernardo Silva with an eye on a £22 million move in the January transfer window.

That's according to Tuttomercatoweb (h/t Daily Star's Rhys Turrell), who claims the Blues have been watching the 21-year-old for some time now.

The former Benfica man has been a smash hit since moving to France and was one of the standouts of the Under-21 European Championships this summer, and a big-money move seems almost inevitable.

Per Turrell, Silva made a permanent move to Monaco this summer after spending the previous season on loan with the Ligue 1 outfit. His current deal runs until the 2020 season, so Monaco will be in no rush to sell at this point.

Silva led Portugal to the final of last summer's Under-21 European Championships before losing to Sweden in the final, and while he failed to impress against the Swedes, he was arguably the tournament's best player overall.

Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe thinks he's in for a major breakout season:

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Silva is an unravelling secret now; the French know him, the Portuguese adore him and the rest of the world is perhaps just waking up to his talent. The European Under-21 Championship did a lot for his reputation, with many seeing him for the first time and marvelling at all of the traits we've discussed.

[...]In terms of projections, Silva is likely already worth €30 million in today's market and could succeed in any situation. A pretty playmaker with added speed, tenacity and penalty-box instincts will go for big bucks even at this age.

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Premier League fans will see a lot of Manchester City star David Silva in the youngster's game. Like the Spain international, the Monaco man has a very slight build but more than makes up for it with superb vision, excellent passing skills and remarkable confidence in front of goal.

He's versatile enough to play all over midfield, and he's actually playing more as an attacking midfielder these days, after starting his career as a winger. Last year, he scored nine goals and added three assists in 25 Ligue 1 starts, per WhoScored.com. 

There's one more aspect to his game that will surely pique the interest of Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho: He's an incredibly willing defender.

Despite his slight build, he constantly harasses opponents in midfield, and he loves to press high up the pitch and launch counter-attacks after stealing the ball.

Juventus have been rumoured to be interested for some time now, and French Football Weekly previously claimed the Bianconeri were told he would cost at least €30 million, which may be out of their price range.

Silva seems like exactly the kind of player Mourinho would love to work with, but the question is where he would play after making the move to Stamford Bridge. Cesc Fabregas is Mourinho's choice attacking midfielder, and the likes of Eden Hazard, Willian and Pedro present a strong barrier that would block Silva's path into the first team.

He would make for a wonderful long-term investment, but Silva may opt to stay put for the time being and choose the guaranteed playing time with Monaco over the uncertainty of the Premier League. Regardless, the Portuguese maestro is one to keep an eye on for the future.

Blues Want Nolito?

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According to El Periodico Mediterraneo (h/t Daily Express' Charlie Philippe) the Blues have joined the race for Celta Vigo star Nolito, who has been strongly linked with moves to Barcelona and Arsenal.

The 29-year-old has been the catalyst behind the Galicians' incredible start to the 2015-16 campaign, and per OutsideoftheBoot.com, his success started as soon as he made the move back to La Liga from Benfica:

This season, the former Barcelona man has already scored six goals and added three assists in eight La Liga matches, including a goal and two assists against the Blaugrana and the winner in Sunday's clash with Villarreal, per WhoScored.com. 

His superb form was always going to invite transfer speculation, and given Barcelona's need for more veteran depth after the departure of Pedro and his history with the club, the Catalans make a lot of sense as a destination.

It's that Pedro transfer that should have Chelsea fans somewhat sceptical regarding this rumour. Like Pedro, Nolito is a veteran winger who combines pace, trickery and vision in the attacking third to make a living. The two are so similar one has to wonder why Mourinho would invest big money in the both of them.

The Blues already field a host of talented, productive wingers, and the position is about the last one that needs addressing in January. The Spain international prefers to play on the left, the same spot where Hazard, the current PFA Player of the Year plies his trade. 

The move just wouldn't make any sense for all parties involved, so don't expect the Blues to be real players for Nolito in January.

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