Chelsea Transfer News: Fresh Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Amadou Diawara Rumours

Chelsea will reportedly offer Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic a staggering £300,000 a week as they seek to sign the mercurial Swede in January.

With the forward’s contract due to expire at the end of the campaign, there’s been plenty of speculation about where he may end up at the end of the season. However, according to Sport Italia (h/t Jamie Sanderson of Metro), the Blues are ready to try to force through a transfer in the midseason window.

It’s a sensational amount, but Chelsea would be getting a centre-forward who is at the peak of his powers. Here’s a reminder of some of his finest recent moments in a PSG shirt:

Ibrahimovic may be 34 years old, but he’s still an exceptional footballer. While he may not be as dynamic as he was in his younger days, the forward remains a talismanic figure for the French champions and an influence who would potentially be hugely difficult to replace. Indeed, his refined play at the point of the attack has aided the Parisians’ devastating attacking play this term.

Perhaps most appealing for Chelsea, he remains extremely sharp in front of goal. As we can see here, courtesy of OptaJean, Ibrahimovic is still clinical:

Chelsea need a forward too. At the moment, Diego Costa is well short of his best, Loic Remy has struggled for fitness, and Radamel Falcao has scarcely showed anything to suggest he can have an impact in the side. Mourinho, with his team languishing in 14th position in the Premier League table, could definitely do with someone like Ibrahimovic.

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However, the Portuguese did insist recently that he has faith in Costa to come good, per Chelsea’s official Twitter feed:

Ibrahimovic would be a short-term solution, anyway. The Swede may seem evergreen at the moment, but time will eventually catch up with him. Instead of paying him an obscene amount of money to help turn things around, Chelsea would be better off trusting the current forwards or making an overdue delve into their revered youth academy.

Amadou Diawara Offer Rejected

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According to Corriere di Bologna (h/t Football Italia), Bologna have rejected bids of €20 million (£14 million) from Chelsea and Manchester City for Amadou Diawara.

It’s suggested in the piece that the Serie A side have spurned the advances of the Premier League duo because they believe he will eventually develop into a player worth more than that amount. Here’s a look at why the likes of Chelsea and City have been in the hunt for the sensational 18-year-old:

Despite his tender years, Diawara has been hugely impressive at the core of this Bologna team, featuring in all 15 of their Serie A matches. Stylistically, the teenager is a box-to-box midfielder. He is adept at spoiling opposition attacking play, carrying the ball forward for his team and popping off dangerous shots from distance.

As talented as he may be, Diawara’s purchase would only serve to block the progress of young players into the Chelsea side from the academy, including young midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek. As Uber Chelsea FC notes here, some of the best prospects at least deserve a chance:

Plenty of Blues supporters will be excited at the news they are seeking to spend big money on a developing young player, but why not put some faith in the youngsters who won the FA Youth Cup and UEFA Youth League last term?

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There has already been talk of Loftus-Cheek, an exciting prospect, potentially leaving the club in the near future, with Matt Law of the Daily Telegraph writing that Manchester United, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are all looking at the midfielder. Bringing in Diawara will do little to assure prospects like him that there is a clear path from the academy to the first team.