Almost Done – £75,000-A-Week Chelsea Target Set To Sign, £14m Deal Almost Done

Jose Mourinho has made no secret of his desire to add a quality defender to his squad this summer as he wishes to mount a credible challenge on all fronts next season. With John Terry , Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic the only experienced options for the position , and Ivanovic the preferred option at right back , Chelsea are short of options in that area. All the other options like Zouma , Ake and others are young and inexperienced, and Mourinho definitely needs reinforcements in the summer to shore up his options at centre back.

One of the mooted targets was Atletico Madrid star defender Toby Alderwield , who , after spending last season on loan at Southampton and starring in the club’s rise up the table , is reportedly available for £14 million. The 26-year-old played a pivotal role last season as Saints recorded their best ever finish in the league at seventh , and has reportedly been a transfer target for several Premier League clubs.

However, the Daily Star have now reported that Tottenham are the favorites to land the Belgian International and the move could be announced in the coming days. The news will come as a bitter disappointment for Chelsea who were confident of luring the former Ajax man to Stamford Bridge. He would have been the perfect player for the Blues as with 47 caps for Belgium , he is an experienced international and a proven Premier League defender , and at 26, he is most likely on the cusp of his prime and could have been John Terry’s likely successor in the short to medium term , at least until Zouma matures into the player all expect him to be.

Mourinho may now have to cast his net elsewhere to find a defender who can both be an able cover and replacement for the Chelsea back line at the same time. Capable of playing both at right back and centre back , Alderwield would have solved Blues’ problems in a jiffy and would have provided valuable experience to a back line that was in serious need of some.

Blues fans will be hoping that their club can find another top class defender who can supplement the back line and help to soften the disappointment of losing out on Alderwield.