Nemanja Matic - The defensive diamond Jose Mourinho should target

The 2004/05 season was an important one for Chelsea and the evolution of tactics in Premier League football. Not because of the way Jose Mourinho led Chelsea to the title with a record number of points, but because the Portuguese coach highlighted the importance of utilising a holding midfielder in the middle of the pitch.

Claude Makélélé was shipped into Stamford Bridge the season prior by Claudio Ranieri, but would rise to prominence under the guidance of the Special One. And although the man The Metro are linking with the Blues this summer isn’t in the calibre of Makélélé, it could signal a return to Mourinho’s preference of deploying a defensive pillar in his midfield.

Nemanja Matic is the player they refer to as a target, the midfielder who left west London for Benfica in 2011 after a metatarsal injury robbed him of a chance to work his way into the Chelsea side.

After a spell on loan at Dutch side Vitesse, Matic made his switch to Portugal as part of the deal taking David Luiz the other way, and he is currently flourishing under the guidance of Jorge Jesus. Matic claimed the 2012/13 Portuguese topflight’s Player of the Year but is now setting his sights on a return to the Premier League in the not too distant future, according to the Metro.

Nemanja Matic Duels Won (In Champions League)

The Serbia international said: “I would probably like to stay another year with Benfica, but if somebody like Mourinho wanted to bring me back to London, it would be difficult to turn down. It would be a great chance to prove that I can play in the Premier League.”

But with four players currently fighting for a spot in one of the two pivots at Chelsea, where would the towering midfielder fit in?

Mourinho has opted for two box-to-box midfielders this season as opposed to an out-and-out holding player, with Ramires and Frank Lampard the staples of the side. The wealth of quality that the Blues have in the more advanced slots has forced the latter back beside the Brazilian, and it’s clear to see how it’s effecting his play.

Lampard scored 15 goals and created 31 chances last season in just 29 appearances, and while his pass accuracy has risen from 82% to 84% so far this term, he has scored just once and made five key passes in his seven appearances.

Ramires is the more defensive of the two and would be the more difficult to dislodge after a string of fine performances, but the signing is most likely to flag the end of the road for one of Jon Obi Mikel or Michael Essien, who are struggling for game time as it is.

Mikel has made three appearances this season and won all eight of his tackles while also completing 92% of his passes, which betters anything that Matic has mustered in the Champions League so far. The statistics available suggest tell us that the 25-year-old has won 8/10 of his tackles, as well as both of his headers, and completed a respectable 87% of his attempted passes.

Nemanja Matic Passes v PSG (89% Pass Accuracy)

Essien, however, is yet to feature this season and will know that his time at the club is running out. But for Ramires, he will be willing the transfer to go through as it will allow him the freedom to push forward knowing full well that he has an extra man shielding the defensive unit behind him.

Ramires’s 12 key passes and two goals in his eight appearances this season, in both the Premier League and the Champions League, suggest that he is willing to propel up the pitch, but his dynamic displays could be further enhanced by the arrival of Matic.

Sign him up, Jose.

Football graphics and stats from Squawka.