Chelsea Transfer News: Fresh Graziano Pelle Rumours, John Terry Fears for Future

Chelsea will reportedly turn to Southampton forward Graziano Pelle in an attempt to alleviate their goalscoring woes in the midseason window.

That’s according to CalcioNews24 (h/t Marc Williams of the Daily Star) which claims the Blues see the forward as an ideal candidate to play up front for this toiling team.

The Blues could definitely do with an injection of quality in the centre-forward position, with none of the three strikers at the club at their best this term.

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Diego Costa, who bullied his way past defenders last season, looks a shadow of the player he was in 2014-15. Meanwhile, Loic Remy can’t stay consistently fit enough to be relied upon, while Radamel Falcao, formerly the finest No. 9 in world football, has endured a drastic descent in form.

As we can see here courtesy of Squawka Football, before Remy’s goal in the 2-1 loss to Leicester City on Monday evening, the Blues had been on something of a goalscoring drought:

Pelle is a player who could definitely aid in that respect, and despite his advancing years, he has proved a consistently positive influence for Southampton.

Here’s how he compares in direct statistical comparison to Costa this season in the Premier League:

	Costa	Pelle
Apps (sub)	12 (1)	14 (1)
Goals	3	6
Assists	1	2
Shots per game	1.9	3.3
Key passes per game	1.1	1.3
Aerial duels won per game	1.5	4.3

Nevertheless, Southampton look unlikely to sell in January. Saints have built up a reputation as a selling club in recent seasons following the sales of some key figures, but they typically do the bulk of their business in the summer.

Indeed, they’re also a little short of quality options up front and will not want to lose a player as threatening as Pelle in the penalty area.

Chelsea are in a tough situation when it comes to potential January additions, as the window is typically a time when little quality is available for an inflated premium. So unless the Blues hierarchy can pull off something special next month, it’d be a big surprise if Chelsea were able to bring in a player of superior quality to their current options.

John Terry Concerned Over Chelsea Future

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According to Simon Johnson of the London Evening Standard, Chelsea captain John Terry is growing increasingly concerned this season will be his last at Stamford Bridge.

The 35-year-old’s contract is set to expire in the summer, and Johnson claims it’s unlikely the defender will be handed a new deal this year, meaning he’s free negotiate with clubs over a pre-contract from January onwards.

Turkish sides Fenerbahce, Galatasaray and Antalyaspor have already reportedly made their interest known.

Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images

After being the standout defender in the Premier League last season, this campaign has been the total opposite for Terry, who is no longer an indispensable member of the Chelsea team.

As Duncan Castles of the Sunday Times noted during the game on Monday, the veteran seemed to have a very tough time coping with Leicester’s nippy forward players:

Johnson writes Terry could potentially make a move to the United States at the end of his current deal, which would surely appeal to the former England international more than the Turkish Super Lig.

However, given how influential the Chelsea skipper is, it would be unwise not to keep him at the club in some capacity.

If Terry was to leave, there’d be a massive void to fill at Stamford Bridge. Not necessarily on the pitch, where the defender’s influence is waning, but for the fans and in the dressing room. For a player many feel epitomises Chelsea, surely there’s a role he can continue to play at the club beyond this season.