“Maybe we needed something different” – When Rafa Benitez highlighted Chelsea linked striker’s lack of mobility
Chelsea have reportedly been linked with Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic. In light of this, comments by former manager Rafael Benitez have shown up. The Spaniard, who sold Mitrovic when he was in charge of Newcastle United in 2018, spoke about the Serbian's lack of mobility.
He said (via The Chelsea Chronicle):
“You have a vision, and you see the stats. But I can analyse the games, the way that he was playing, and also every training session with us. Is he a good player? Yes. Can he score goals for Fulham? Yes. But, for us, maybe we needed something different. Maybe because he was not playing, his confidence was low, and now it’s high. But we needed more mobility."
He added:
“Normally, if you’re defending and play counter-attack, the striker has to have more mobility. If not, he’s just a target man. For our team, that’s not ideal. Can we play this way? Yes, but we would need to sign other players. It depends on the players around. But were we right or wrong? We got promoted, we won the Championship, we were right. Then, we finished 10th (last season) – so we were right.”
These remarks come after the Daily Star reported that Chelsea are interested in signing Mitrovic. The Serbian has scored 108 goals and provided 22 assists in 202 games for Fulham.
The Blues have already completed the signing of RB Leipzig's Christopher Nkunku, who is set to arrive in the summer in a deal worth over €60 million. Any incoming player will have to compete with the Frenchman for playing time under Graham Potter.
Chelsea have also reportedly shown interest in signing Brentford striker Ivan Toney, and Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.
Chelsea leading race to sign Bundesliga midfielder
Chelsea are the frontrunners to sign Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Kouadio Kone, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
The 21-year-old has burst onto the scene this season for the German club. He has been linked to multiple top clubs including Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain.
The Blues are looking to pair Kone with winter record signing Enzo Fernandez, who joined the club from Benfica for €121 million. Although the likes of N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic are already at the club, Kone is seen as a long-term option.
Romano added that the player will not come cheap, with a price tag of €50 million plus add-ons considered necessary to complete the signing.
Kone's defensive capabilities could prove to be a smart pairing to Fernandez's ability on the ball in the long run for Chelsea. The Frenchman has made 54 appearances for Monchengladbach and has also registered four goals and two assists.