Chelsea Transfers: 10 Possible Replacements for Nicolas Anelka

Chelsea went through a very rough patch in November.  Three losses in three games, two to rival Liverpool, left a bitter in tinge in Coach Andre Villas-Boas’ mouth and he felt the only way to rid himself of it was to spit humiliation at his players.

It was reported that in front of the entire squad, Villas-Boas individually called out players in an embarrassing manner.  Drogba was told he was a “fraction of the player he was last season,” but this harsh ridicule of a player that has brought so much to Stamford Bridge fails to compare to the judgment placed on Nicolas Anelka and Alex:

“But AVB saved his bombshell moment for 32-year-old striker Anelka, and 29-year-old central defender Alex.

Frenchman Anelka, who picked up the Double with former boss Carlo Ancelotti, has barely featured under Villas-Boas — starting just three Premier League games.

Similarly, Brazil star Alex has barely played either, despite also winning the Double alongside Anelka.

Anelka was first to feel the icy blast, with AVB turning to him and saying: "I don't want to see you anywhere near the first team again."

Our insider continued: "The manager told Anelka he wasn't welcome anywhere.

"He was banned from training with the first team, banned from using the training facilities if the first-team squad were using them — and told he would be training with the reserves from now on.

"Then AVB turned to Alex and said 'And the same applies to you'."

Perhaps used as a motivational tool to get his team back on track (debatable whether it worked or not), the move effectively terminated the two veterans relationship with the club, with Anelka already on his way to China to play for the Shanghai Shenhua.

Though I am opposed personally to this move, and moralistically to writing articles about rumored transfers, here is a list of 10 players who may (but probably won't) come to replace the Frenchman.

Disclaimer: I am not a reporter and have no connections to anyone in the Chelsea organization or the players listed.  All rumors are the product of research from other sources, most of which are unsubstantiated as it is.

Robinho

This one has all the fixings to be an utter bust, but of course reports swirl that prove anything is possible.

The Brazilian star was first the target of Chelsea intrigue years ago under then-boss Phil Scolari, but the midfielder opted instead to be newly wealthy City’s first big signing. 

A failed stint in the EPL led him to Italy where he became an instant success helping AC Milan back to the Serie A title last season and an all-around fan favorite.  However, with want-away Carlos Tevez eyeing a move to the Italian juggernauts, Robinho may be looking for a place with less competition for a starting role.

A move for the 27-year-old could be risky considering he turned out to be a major bust for the price in Manchester.  However, the ego of Villas-Boas may override any logic as he believes he could be the one to utilize the Brazilian properly.

Considering it would be an expensive purchase, odds are it won’t happen.  But I am not going to lie and say I would not love to see a midfield with Robinho on my team.

Edinson Cavani

On the radar of many Chelsea followers for some time now, Cavani is a product of the resurgent tradition of Uruguayan football.  At only age 24, he has already impressed South America with a knack for finding the goal, including scores against Germany in the 2010 World Cup and helping his country to Copa America this past summer.

Now at Napoli, he has become one of the most feared strikers on the peninsula with 41 goals in 61 appearances, including four in the Champion League alone thus far.

Many see a move for him contingent on the future of Didier Drogba.  If the Ivorian leaves Cavani is a must-signing for not only his skill, but to add another body for a central striker position.

However, you would have to be utterly naive to pin your hopes on this deal getting done.  Drogba has been playing fairly decently considering the new role he is asked to play and the price tag that would come for a player like Cavani would be astronomical.

Even if all these circumstances were met, do you really think Napoli is going to ship their best player to their opponent for the first knockout round of the Champions League?

Jack Rodwell

I know he does not play the position of Anelka, but ridding the team of the Frenchman also frees up some spending room which can be used to help solidify other areas.

The Daily Mail reports that Rodwell is the subject of a £20 million bid by Chelsea and could look to convert him as a replacement for Frank Lampard moving forward.

This is an interesting development, but actually when broken down it could be feasible.  For one, Villas-Boas has obviously lost trust in keeping Lamps as the No. 1 (even though for the life of me I cannot figure out why).  Add that into the fact he is getting old, and you have to start looking toward the future.

For some reason Villas-Boas does not trust Josh McEachran, a seemingly fan favorite that once looked like the glowing pride of Chelsea moving forward, to take over the role.

Secondly, the perk about having Rodwell is his versatility.  When you are playing with a formation of three spread-out players in the midfield, you need fast and good, hard-tackling players to close down on the opponent.  This lack of defensive prowess is the main reason I see Villas-Boas nixing Lamps and Josh.  Rodwell definitely knows how to close down on guys and win 50/50 balls, as well as being pretty good in the offensive box when asked to go forward.

Again, it's unlikely that Moyes is going to give away a young stud like Rodwell, but Everton has been known to do interesting things in the past.  I actually like the move, but for that price, it just ain’t happening.

Milos Krasic

The bad guy lookalike from a James Bond film needs a new home.  With Juventus having their best season since relegation, Krasic has found himself more often than not looking to that success from the bench.

A talented winger to say the least, he is a durable force that can play many games and has all the tools Chelsea needs in a good winger: great dribbler, excellent passer and quick as can be.

Though he would probably not come in and replace Sturridge, he would bolster the side which is looking very thin with Anelka’s departure.  Kalou is not always the only option you want to back up your right wing.

The thing about Krasic is that out of every name on this list he is the most reasonable purchase.  Juventus would probably offload him at a "fair" price and unlike many of the other names on this list he is not cup-tied in Europe.  With the Champions League being the only thing that is reasonably in sight for Chelsea at the moment, it is kind of what you want to gear your January purchases toward.

Eden Hazard

The name that has become synonymous with great prospect of hope overtaking the Belgium game. 

At only 20 years old, he brought Lille their first French title in almost half a century and was the youngest player to ever win the league’s player of the year award.

Most fans saw him at his best as he was the only one that seemed to show life in the Champions League, as the youthful squad saw the competition and bowed out in the group stage.

This move would be as much about being defensive as it is getting a great player.  Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs have all been reported to be interested in the kid.  It would be a tough match to face him twice a year at least.

Looking beyond the numbers, perhaps his biggest contribution can be to assist in the development of Romelu Lukaku.  The teenager has not seemed to really find his feet in West London and maybe some native blood could help with that.

But at a price tag expected to be close to £50 million, consider it a long shot he is wearing blue by February.

Stevan Jovetic

Don’t really at all understand the fascination with this kid, but for some reason he has become the "hot name" on this site.

I see article after article written that suggests Chelsea need him to be great.  I do not see how one OK season in Serbia and another less-than-OK season in Italy make that a good argument.  With that said, I figure I better jump on the bandwagon and take a look.

At only 22 there is obvious room for improvement and he seems to have some decent attributes.  According to the goal.com profile of him he is at least loyal to his club, but I don’t see how that helps Chelsea.

Let's also not forget he sat out an entire season a year ago with a torn ACL.  Do you really want to invest in a player that will always have that kind of injury lingering around?

I think it is just a case of Roman getting having a bit of a fetish for the Slavic type.

Joao Moutinho

I argued for this move over the summer and was disappointed not to get him.  But with an obvious need for midfield support, it would be a nice time for Villas-Boas to bring another assault on his old club.

I love everything about the way this guys plays.  His touch, his mentality and his poise all are the kind of things I personally like to see in a holding midfielder—never erratic and always safe.

Odds are this would be a useless quest again, but for me there is no bigger fish out there. Sure he would be coming into a side that in all actuality does not really need him, but I think he would find it a comforting place.

The best part about this move is that he could be integrated into the squad quickly already knowing all the intricacies of the Villas-Boas system.

Mario Goetze

Another name popular on the B/R airwaves, but at least this one has some legitimacy to it.  I like this kid a lot.

At 19 years old and stud in the midfield, he has come on to capture the German fans eyes as he is the face of a strong Dortmund side.  Not to mention he already has 12 appearances for the proud national side.

He kind of reminds of Podolski, not only in his play, but look as well.  Let’s just hope should Chelsea get him he does not turn out to be Podolski in the long run.

Then again, we may not have to worry as he has been figured to be priced around £40 million.

Neymar

Alright, let’s be clear—I am putting this name on here just because I know there are going to be some people who will call me out if I don’t.

I don’t only hate this move; I despise it.  I think this would be the death of the club and Villas-Boas’ career.  All he would be doing is overpaying for a whiny little weasel of a brat.

He is a great player?  Where was he against Barca on Saturday?  And please don’t feed me lines about how his team is not as good as Barca and if he had those players around him he would be just as good as Messi.  A great player finds ways to make his team relevant no matter who is on the squad.

Don’t get me wrong, Neymar is a very talented individual who will most likely one day be a top player in the world.  But right now he is being priced as such and carries baggage that is not worth paying for.

Let the fame-seekers at City or Madrid implode their teams and bank accounts to get his troublemaker.  Chelsea should just stay away until he proves he has the right attitude and proves that he can carry a team on his back against the world’s best competition.

David Villa

Things cannot seem to get any worse for David Villa.  Snubbed out of a starting spot where he has won six trophies in just one-and-a-half seasons, being challenged as the primary striker on a national side where he won Spain’s first-ever World Cup and now a seemingly freak accident that broke his leg.

But Villa’s anguish may be Chelsea’s promise.

It may seem like somewhat of a long shot, but the signing of Villa could be a huge move to solidify Chelsea’s forward line for the next few years and there are plenty of reasons why.

First, he has a injury that is easy to recover from.  Once a broken bone is healed, it is no longer a concern, unlike ligament damage that can leave the injured area never returning to 100 percent.

Second, he is familiar with a brand of this system and has had success in it.  Villas-Boas is essentially trying to mimic what Barca does, so Villa coming in should have little trouble understanding his role.

Third, it is the right time to buy.  With this injury he will most likely be out the rest of the season so could be bought on the cheap.  Should he come back in time for Euros, there is little reason to doubt he won’t have a great tournament, thus making him unaffordable.

Fourth and finally, why the heck not?