Chelsea‘s switch coverage has shifted dramatically for the reason that arrival of Todd Boehly, though the monetary backing has remained. It appears that evidently the American is eager to maneuver the west London outfit away from Roman Abramovich’s here-and-now method, as a substitute planning for the long run as a way to forge a profitable dynasty that may span a few years.
Acquisitions like Olivier Giroud, Pedro and Thiago Silva, while profitable in their very own other ways, are anticipated to be few and much between on condition that, of the 16 new signings since final summer time, solely three are aged 28 or over.
Nonetheless, it’s honest to say that because the one-year anniversary of the takeover nears, this largely has been a failed enterprise. Three managers and a mid-table end is way from the trajectory followers would have envisioned for this time period.
That’s not set to discourage the hierarchy from persevering with to pump funds into the membership although, as this summer time window guarantees to be one more large one.
Already the rumours are swirling about who the Blues may welcome into Stamford Bridge, with one such report noting a possible transfer that might align with this new-look philosophy.
Who’s Vitor Roque?
As per Mundo Deportivo, noting earlier within the week, Chelsea have leapfrogged Barcelona within the race for Brazilian wonderkid Vitor Roque, who boasts a supposedly glowing future forward of him.
The 18-year-old has loved a positive yr for Membership Athletico Paranaense, recording 12 aim contributions in 20 league video games. Remarkably, that is his third yr in senior soccer, thus marking {the teenager} out as a really particular expertise and worthy of the €35m (£30m) price ticket claimed within the report.
An athletic striker with a burst of tempo, but boasting fast ft that may dazzle defences, it was not lengthy earlier than the Ronaldo Nazario comparisons inevitably got here.
The 46-year-old loved profitable spells throughout loads of Europe’s elite, scoring for Inter Milan, AC Milan, Barcelona, Actual Madrid and PSV Eindhoven. It’s robust to pinpoint the place the apex of a profession plagued with accidents got here, however it was his 54 objectives in 57 video games in Holland that actually made the remainder of the continent take word, having come by way of at Cruzeiro similar to Roque.
He would go on to terrorise defenders together with his unparalleled tempo and energy, scoring 295 membership objectives, successful two Ballon d’Or’s and enjoying an enormous function in two World Cup successes with Brazil.
So, to have the person himself counsel that this younger marksman “goes to fly so excessive,” fuelled the comparisons additional. Roque’s father, Juvenal, even acknowledged such adulation by noting: “It is thrilling to know that the most effective on this planet is praising my son, and that he’s following the trail of O Fenomeno.”
With Mauricio Pochettino quickly to take over within the Chelsea dugout, his work in moulding Harry Kane into one of many world’s best forwards ought to be one more reason for this teenage gem to think about the swap.
The Argentinian handed the England captain his breakthrough within the 2014/15 marketing campaign the place he would rating 31 objectives, persevering with to nurture him into the striker who’s now the second-highest scorer in Premier League historical past.
With the potential Roque boasts, there isn’t a cause why he can’t comply with swimsuit beneath his tutelage. In spite of everything, former nationwide workforce coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has promised: “He’ll develop into one of many best gamers we’ve forward of us.”
He arguably has no higher probability of being simply that than in west London beneath Pochettino.
