Why PSG's Marquinhos Would Be a Great Transfer Option for Chelsea

When Chelsea come to rebuild their defence this summer it isn't going to be enough to plug holes with marquee names. The Blues have to think beyond the next couple of seasons, as the requirement now is to create something that can be sustained.

The landscape has shifted at Stamford Bridge. Whereas transfer policy has often focused on signing players to complement John Terry, Chelsea are now looking to replace him.

With the expected departure of the club captain at the end of the season, that link to past successes is gone. The spine of the side has to be rebuilt, and for the club to truly benefit, they have to target talent under 25.

That's where the likes of Paris Saint-Germain's Brazilian defender Marquinhos comes into the picture.

He may not have the same profile as his PSG team-mates and fellow Brazilians David Luiz and Thiago Silva, but at 21 years old, he shouldn't. Marquinhos is still an emerging talent and his best years are still well ahead of him.

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The point is, though, he is showing the potential that he will reach those levels, which is why Chelsea will be best served to strike while they can.

Marquinhos is a centre-back playing on the right at Parc des Princes, as there isn't room for him in the middle. He's being forced out by bigger, more experienced names, and until that Silva-Luiz double act is broken up, he is going to have to settle for the right-back position in Laurent Blanc's side.

Chelsea may not be able to offer Marquinhos UEFA Champions League football next season, but the package they'll be selling to any new signings this summer isn't about that. With no European dream, the coming months are about convincing players such as Marquinhos that they can become the club's future.

It's the only thing Chelsea have going for them right now, yet we shouldn't underestimate it. Achieving success is one thing, but being the fulcrum of the glory is quite another. As much as players will chase contracts and silverware in their careers, the security of being a long-term player is equally important.

Chelsea will be employing a new manager on that mandate, and it's how they will entice players who are willing to sacrifice elite European football for a season or so. After all, it's not that often the biggest clubs hit rock bottom and are forced to totally rebuild in an attempt to regain their status.

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That's what's happened this season at Chelsea. It's left the club in a state of flux, with the past decade of success needing to be forgotten if they are to move forward. When the club sacked Jose Mourinho in December, it was the statement they were making. Now that Terry's expected to be leaving, it's even more so.

Chelsea are starting afresh in a similar way to how they did when Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003. Football has changed significantly since that time; it's a fashion now for club's to have sugar daddy owners, so whereas Abramovich was once unique, he's become a face among many. That in itself has influenced the transfer market and who has the muscle.

The principles remain the same, though. Chelsea built the first coming of the Abramovich dynasty around a spine that would serve the club for a decade, and it worked. Now, they must do the same.

Chelsea have plenty of homegrown talent coming through in the ranks who will be hoping to emulate Terry's success and be part of the rebuild. Whereas the likes of Jake Clarke-Salter and others still have some maturing to do, Marquinhos has the look of a player who is ready to take that step forward in his career.

He's a full Brazil international for one and has made just shy of a hundred appearances for PSG. Playing alongside some big names in that time, he's had a solid apprenticeship in European football, easing his way into culture of the game this side of the Atlantic.

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Marquinhos is one of the few players of his age and ability who has the potential to slot in and accelerate Chelsea's re-emergence from the doldrums. It will come at a significant cost to the transfer budget, yet looking at the yield that investment would bring over the coming seasons, it would appear a wise move.

Chelsea's defence was craving being galvanised long before this season ever happened. With Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic both the wrong side of 30 and with just Kurt Zouma, Cesar Azpilicueta and Baba Rahman the options outside of them, it's clear an injection of talent is needed.

Maruqinhos won't be the solution to solving all those problems, but he can be the start of it.

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes