Chelsea to spend up to £25m to re-sign a former Academy Defender?
Ryan Bertrand is being linked with a shock return to Chelsea having been identified by Antonio Conte as one of his reported transfer ta...
https://www.chelseadaft.org/2017/04/chelsea-to-spend-up-to-25m-to-re-sign.html
Ryan Bertrand is being linked with a shock return to Chelsea having been identified by Antonio Conte as one of his reported transfer targets in the summer.
Bertrand, a Champions League winner with Chelsea, was sold to Southampton for a fee of around £10m a couple of seasons ago as it was clear at that time that he would not feature in the Chelsea first team. Having spent time out on loan (which as we all know is part of Chelsea’s policy), the player himself stated that he was looking for regular football and an agreement was made to let him go.
To his credit, Bertrand has taken the opportunity to play week in, week out in the Premier League with both hands at Southampton and has forged his way into the England fold based on consistent performances.
So what of the reports that Antonio Conte has an admirer of Bertrand and is looking to bring him back to the club?
It’s clear that one of the main areas that needs strengthening this summer is the wing-back positions (that’s if Conte decides to continue with the 3-4-3 formation beyond this season). As we have seen, we do not have a naturally defensive minded left sided defender who is prepared to push forward other than Marcos Alonso now that Cesar Azpilicueta has moved inside to centre back.
We have seen Pedro fill in for Victor Moses this season down the right hand side, but as we witnessed on Saturday, Pedro is not the answer so we need to bolster our options on both sides.
Reports state that Chelsea would be prepared to meet the asking price for Bertrand of around £25m this summer and I just wonder what you think of a possible deal?
He is an obvious and natural talent but arguably, not the best defensively. However, you could argue the same point of Alonso but with the back three held firm in position, his defensive weaknesses are not exposed as often as you would think. Ryan Bertrand would also benefit in that position.
I personally question the deal AND the reported transfer fee. Yes Bertrand would bolster the number of home-grown players within the squad which is always something to consider, but I am sure there are better all-round defenders worth less or the same as Bertrand out there that would want to join Chelsea if given the chance.
What do you think?
I think Southampton would be crazy to sell for 25mill, going to the likely champions is a good lure but knowing his game time might be hindered again will make it less and why would Southampton a well run club want to sell for such a low fee compared to what they sell their players for
ReplyDeleteHe's no Ashley Cole but in Ashley Coles last season with us, Bertrand Was the best left back at the club. He was often played out of position and, like a number of others, never had the opportunity to develop within the first eleven. I've lost track of how many times I posted saying play him at LB throughout that period. He's better than anyone we've had since in that position despite spending around £70m! I'd welcome him back.
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