Should Chelsea Bid For This £150,000-A-Week Arsenal Target?

The German international was the subject of transfer speculation this summer as top Premier League clubs like Chelsea and Arsenal were reported to be keen on him.

The midfielder’s contract with Madrid is set to expire after this season and there is no expectation of a renewal from both parties. The Spanish outfit will be better served by accepting a bid for the aggrieved player to leave this January.

Although both Arsenal and Chelsea were said to be interested, it was reported that Khedira’s wage demands put the prudent Arsenal Boss off the deal. However with injuries to Ramsey and Arteta this season and also considering the general proneness of the Arsenal squad to injury, the Frenchman might be forced to rethink his stance.

Chelsea on the other hand, have a lesser need of a player of his qualities, with the Blues boasting of an array of talent in the German’s preferred position.

If the 27 year old does come to Stamford Bridge, he will be in competition with the likes of Mikel, Ramires, Matic and even Fabregas for a place in the central/defensive midfield position of the double pivot.

Even though it does seem like his services will not be needed, it is noteworthy to point out the fact that Chelsea will need to find a suitable partner for the formidable Nemanja Matic.

This season has seen the Blues concede an unusual amount of goals and the reason  for this, is the fact that Matic is sometimes left to protect the midfield, as his usual pivot partners have shown that their strengths may lie elsewhere.

For instance, Cesc Fabregas is an appalling defender and having a pivot with him in it, is tantamount to having a one man screen in front of the defense instead of two. The Spaniard is likely to orchestrate play so well from the deep, that the need to defend may not arise. But as games against Manchester City and Everton have shown us, when the Blues do need to put in a defensive shift, Cesc Fabregas becomes a mere passenger.

Ramires is not a suitable pivot partner either, as he lacks the requisite defensive positioning a central defensive player should possess. In the game against Everton, the Brazilian kept being drawn to the wings too often, and into areas of the pitch already covered by other players. His best position is in a midfield three of a 4-3-3.

Mikel although defensively adequate, does not possess Khedira’s box to box capability. The German’s runs into the box to join the attack, was largely visible and contributed to his country’s victorious World Cup campaign.

The duo of Willain and Oscar will not be in direct competition with the Real Madrid man as they are untraditional number 10s who fall back far too often and are not pivot players as such.

It is my opinion that the Sami Khedira will be the best pivot player for Matic, if he were to make the move to the Stamford Bridge, allowing Fabregas to move into the number 10 role relegating Oscar to the bench for big games.

Notwithstanding the above, Chelsea can make do with what they already have, unlike the Gunners who seem to desperately need a player of his expertise.