Chelsea Transfers: 10 Players the Blues Can Pursue with Javier Pastore Gone

With news coming in that the phenomenal Argentine talent has signed for the oil-rich club Paris Saint-Germain for a French record fee of £37.5 million, Chelsea have lost out on a crucial transfer target. However, with an influx of players that are rumored out, the Blues still have an opportunity in locking up a number of capable and skillful players before the transfer period ends in September.

The Chelsea midfield desperately needs a central player who can stop attacks, as well as one that can catalyze an offense with accurate and smooth passing. With a dreadful injury to the Chelsea engine Michael Essien, it is now even more necessary to fill this glaring hole.

Here are 10 central and attacking midfielders that can replace the Ghanaian, as well as provide instant youth and form to the Chelsea roster, and help André Villas-Boas' squad in their instant quest for silver.

Scott Parker

Team: West Ham United

Age: 30

Fee: £8 million

With West Ham headed for relegation, many of their top players are on the outs in hopes of remaining in the top flight. The Football Writer's Player of the Year and Hammers' captain is surely to remain in the Premiership, and has been pursued by several mid-tier clubs.

His never-say-die attitude, tough tackling style, precision passing and driving midfield play has made him a fan favorite at West Ham, and with his versatility, he has also caught the eye of Chelsea management. 

With André Villas-Boas needing eight home-grown players to satisfy the roster demands, Parker may be a solid, temporary fix. His relatively cheap wages and fee may make him an enticing loan target.

Lucho González

Team: Olympique de Marseille

Age: 30

Fee: £9 million

The tall Argentine has been rumored to several moves all over Italy and Spain, and is destined to leave the Stade Vélodrome. With a need of a solid replacement for Michael Essien in the central midfield, Lucho could provide for a cheap alternative. He also has experience under the tutelage of André Villas-Boas, as he was a player under him during his tenure with Porto.

El Comandante will provide versatility in several midfield roles that the club will miss from the injured Ghanaian. González also has a very powerful shot, nifty passing, and has endless stamina that helps him provide support on both offense and defense.

However, Lucho has gotten considerable interest from the likes of AS Roma and AC Milan and so Chelsea may have to pay considerably higher for the declining 30-year-old, thus making a move unlikely.

Yann M'Villa

Team: Stade Rennais

Age: 21

Fee: £15 million

At the age of only 21, M'Vila has already emerged as a premier talent in France, and was elected to the Ligue 1 Team of the Year in 2011.

M'Vila possesses a very powerful tackle, which he uses very commandingly. His stamina and work-rate are fantastic, which helps him glide across the pitch and make his presence known. He also has an underrated ability to catalyze attacks, as he can quickly mount an offense from the midfield. He is often compared to the likes of Chelsea stud Claude Makélelé.

M'Vila, however, still has to fully develop and struggles in front of the goal, as well as when dealing with speedy attackers.

M'Vila has a contract that will keep him at the Stade Rennais until 2015, but as Chelsea needs instant reinforcements, they may be forced to pursue the capped French international.

Danielle De Rossi

Team: AS Roma

Age: 28

Fee: £16 million

With De Rossi entering the final year of his contract and hopes of an extension deteriorating, the Italian giants may have to succumb to selling their prized central midfielder.

De Rossi's form has dipped in the past few years, but he has still been a focal leader in Roma's attack. He possesses beautiful ball control, and his dribbling is solid. He also has a very powerful shot, and his end-to-end play allows him to control the pace of the game.

However, De Rossi has struggled at times with covering attackers and recovering balls, as well as making poor passes.

De Rossi would be a solid pickup, but with his inconsistent form, he may only be a temporary addition. Chelsea would also have to compete with the likes of oil-rich Manchester City and Manchester United for the Italian's services.

Samir Nasri

Team: Arsenal

Age: 24

Fee: £25 million

Nasri is entering the last year of his contract, and has submitted expensive wage demands to the Arsenal management. This may compel the Gunners to sell him, rather than having him leave on free transfer next year.

The Frenchman has clearly emerged as a leading talent in the Premier League and is regarded as one of the best upcoming players in the world. The “new Zinedine Zidane” has shown a great and formidable technique, while his vision and cleverness make him hard to stop for defenders.

His movement and passing is outstanding, and his versatility on the attack has been crucial for Wenger’s offense. His pace is underrated, while his ability to read the game has made him integral to the Gunners’ attack. His close contact with the ball, dribbling, crossing, balanced feet and ability to deliver on set-pieces have made him the complete player in the EPL.

If Nasri can keep his top form as well as help on defense while perfecting his shot, he could be a bargain at his price, and become the heir apparent of Frank Lampard.

Kaká

Team: Real Madrid

Age: 29

Fee: £30 million

Kaká was destined to join Chelsea after hints and rumors were spread throughout the year, but alas he remains with Los Blancos. However, his tenure at the Bernabéu has been quite disappointing. Buried under a strong roster and struck with numerous bouts of injury, Kaká has failed to live up to the £56 million transfer fee he was bought for.

However, when healthy and in form, he is a highly skilled passer with a great shot and has shown tremendous vision when creating opportunities for his teammates. He has shown himself to be massively composed and balanced, while playing intuitively as a team player.

The Brazilian superstar has apparently been told that he is not in the future plans of boss José Mourinho, and if all else fails, Chelsea may be able to lure the Brazilian to Stamford Bridge.

João Moutinho

Team: FC Porto

Age: 24

Fee: £35 million buy-out clause

Considered as the most crucial player during the coaching stint of André Villas-Boas in Porto, the young Portugease midfielder may be tempted to follow his coach to the Premiership. With the gaping hole left by Michael Essien and unproven midfielders on the Chelsea roster, Moutinho may be a helpful pickup for the Blues.

He’s a talented and skillful player who has an excellent passing range, is a good dribbler, and makes creative opportunities for teammates. His versatility is integral to his play, as he can easily play as either a defensive or attacking midfielder. He is resilient on defense in terms of winning balls, as well as displaying a mature attitude on the field.

Moutinho easily fills the mold of "the Bison" and can thrive under the guidance of his former coach, but will come with a very hefty price tag.

Wesley Sneijder

Team: Inter Milan

Age: 27

Fee: £35 million

Wesley Sneijder has won it all at Inter, in both club and individual honors. He is a player with quick, strong and powerful shooting ability who can balance it on both feet. His attacking play on set-pieces is magical and he has great placement on the pitch.

His passing is extraordinary, both with his short flicks and his long-range bombs. His dribbling allows him to control the tempo of the game and become the focal facilitator of the attack, a role which he excels in.

He has been crucial to the Nerazurri in helping them win the quadruple and winning the Silver Ball after helping the Netherlands reach the World Cup final.

Sneijder has told Inter that he wants to leave for the Premier League, but his favorites, Manchester United, have told him to lower his wage demands. Chelsea however, with no shortage of money and resources could easily land the Dutch star, who in his prime could be crucial during the Champions League run.

Marek Hamšík

Team: S.S.C. Napoli

Age: 24

Fee: £36 million

The Slovak has greatly impressed at Napoli this year, helping the Blues qualify for a spot in the Champions League after finishing third in Serie A. His attacking play has helped him score 11 goals for Napoli, and along with assisting Edinson Cavani, he has given the Partenopei a prolific scoring attack.

Hamšík has tremendous physical strength and his anticipation, knack for scoring and ability to control the game has helped him garner comparisons to United great Paul Scholes. His attacking and physicality helped him captain Slovakia into the Round of 16 during the World Cup and he also has won such honors  as Serie A Young Footballer of the Year.

Hamšík definitely has a very bright future ahead of him, and Napoli will be very reluctant to sell such an integral player. However, his creative attacking ability is absolutely necessary to the Chelsea attack, but with a hefty fee and suitors such as AC Milan in hot pursuit, the Slovak may be forced to stay in Italy.

Luka Modrić

Team: Tottenham Hotspur

Age: 25

Fee: £40 million

It has become widely known that the Blues have been chasing the Croatian magician throughout the transfer window. However, due to the determined stance of both Spurs boss Harry Redknapp and Chairman Daniel Levy, Modrić has not completed his move.

He played a crucial role in Tottenham’s cinderella run in the Champions League and played phenomenally throughout the year, enough to win Tottenham’s Player of the Year award.

The prodigious talent has shown tremendous quickness, and his passing is a thrill to watch. The skillful playmaker who can easily play with both feet has shown the ability to be in great offensive position at all times, as well as being quick to stop plays defensively, tracking the ball and making counter-attacks. With Chelsea desperately needing youth amongst its ranks as well as stability in the midfield after the injury of Michael Essien, Modrić has become the No. 1 transfer priority.

Modrić did sign a six-year contract last year, but has strongly pushed for a move to Stamford Bridge. With Chelsea losing out on Javier Pastore and Abramovich agreeing to spend £40 million, Chelsea may finally make its splash in the transfer market.