Jose Mourinho’s second stint with Chelsea hasn’t been a smooth ride so far with strike problem remains a major thorn in flesh for the Blues. The cause for frustration further stems out from the fact that defence, which was Mourinho’s major strength in his first spell, hasn’t provided enough safety at the back, as Chelsea continue to leak in goals at an alarming rate.
With 17 goals conceded in the league so far, 11 away from home, the jittery defence needs some bolstering in the upcoming transfer window. Further, injury to David Luiz has also restricted Mourinho with limited options, though going by the reports, the Brazilian seems unhappy under the Portuguese and could be leaving the club in January; with Spanish giants Barcelona eager to claim his services.
The Daily Mirror reports that Chelsea are keen to buy French youngster Kurt Zouma, who will be available for a fee in the region of £10m.
The 19-year-old Saint-Etienne centre-half is in the middle of 10-match-ban for a horror tackle, but Mourinho holds a high opinion about his talents. The defender is eligible for the Champions League as well which could prove to be an attractive incentive for the Blues to get him signed.
Barcelona meanwhile are not only keeping their options open to bolster their defence; the Catalan giants are equally concerned about their forward line as well.
According to Catalan newspaper Sport, Barcelona will be targeting Manchester for the striker-hunt operation. They have targeted Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero and Manchester United’s Robin van Persie to lead the line next summer and are even prepared to shell out 45m Euros for either of the two.
While dishing out such huge sum on the Argentine Aguero still makes sense, but spending that amount on a 30-year-old raises eyebrow, despite the fact, Van Persie has been the leading top scorer in the Premier League for the last two seasons.
The Catalan press has given credence to the rumour started by BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson that the Dutchman has handed in a transfer request (despite having a contract till 2016) and could leave in the January window.
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
