Chelsea FC Considering Swoop For Southampton’s Clyne And Schneiderlin
By Lou Flavius
Chelsea FC are planning to battle Arsenal and Manchester United for the signatures of Southampton stars Nathaniel Clyne and Morgan Schneiderlin according to the Guardian.
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Clyne — who plays right-back — will be entering the final year of his contract next season. He has not been as forthcoming as the club would have liked him to be as it relates to extension talks — reportedly.
Midfielder Shneiderlin has voiced his desire to play for a Champions League team next season, something Southampton don’t seem likely to fulfill at this point in time.
The Saints were able to keep the Frenchman away from Tottenham’s clutches last summer, but they will face an uphill battle convincing him to stay past the end of this season. He has been a consistent performer this term, doing himself no harm with his impressive showings.
Chelsea are considering summer moves for #saintsfc duo Morgan Schneiderlin and Nathaniel Clyne (Guardian). #CFC pic.twitter.com/hOE16FCPFW
— Read Premier League (@ReadPremLeague) April 8, 2015
He would be a good fit in the Chelsea midfield, and could partner with Serbian Nemanja Matic in a deep role. He would also command a substantially lower fee than countryman Paul Pogba — who looks set to leave Juventus this season.
Clyne is now England’s first-choice right-back. Man. United lost out when he moved from Crystal Palace in 2012, but remain in the hunt.
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The young Englishman is also another consistent player, whose intelligence and pace set him apart. If Southampton cannot get him to sign an extension, they will probably sell him to the highest bidder — which is much better than losing him for nothing next summer.
Chelsea moving for him seems unlikely, with Branislav Ivanovic still performing at such a high level. The Serbian will probably be offered a new and improved contract soon, and it would be hard to imagine Clyne moving to Chelsea to be his understudy.
Jose Mourinho has hinted that he will try to make a few additions to improve the squad, but does not expect a busy transfer window for the club.
"“Everything starts with the squad we have and the players we want to keep, and in that regard there is not a big space for new faces. The new faces will be a couple and will be a consequence of what the market can dictate.”“The team is good, the players are good, basically good. I try to be loyal to players. They deserve that loyalty for what they’re giving.”“Even if direct competitors come in with huge amounts to buy top players, if my squad gives everything and gives us the Premier League title, loyalty will be stronger than a desire to buy new players. I would think the squad would be very, very similar to this one.”-Jose MourinhoSource: Telegraph"
The Blues may well end up as Premier League champions pretty soon, but as long as there is room for improvement, Mourinho will continue to chop and change.