Chelsea transfer news: Blues ready to sacrifice Oscar to fund defensive rebuild
Incoming Blues boss Antonio Conte is most concerned with rebuilding the club’s porous defence so the Brazilian playmaker looks set to be sold to fund the club’s summer overhaul
And the academy award for being Chelsea’s most sellable asset this summer goes to: Oscar.
Incoming Blues boss Antonio Conte is most concerned with rebuilding the club’s porous defence so, according to the Times, the Brazilian playmaker looks set to be sold to fund the club’s summer overhaul.
Fellow Brazilian Ramires was surprisingly shipped out in January when the new Chinese Super League made the Blues an offer they couldn’t refuse.
But 24-year-old Oscar rejected a similar switch as he wants to remain in Europe at this early stage of his career.
Instead, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain are the two Champions League sides most likely to part with the £30million required to spark negotiations.
Conte is believed to be keen on keeping other attacking midfielders Eden Hazard, Willlian and Cesc Fabregas at the club, he is also a big fan of Juan Cuadrado who was exiled out on loan last season by Jose Mourinho and could be like a new signing if he returns in the summer.
Oscar’s form has always been sporadic at Stamford Bridge. His goals have often been sublime but he has never reached double figures in any of his four Premier League seasons, which is a poor return for a player with minimal defensive duties.
And, in the 20 top-flight matches the Brazil international started last season he was hauled off in 12 of those.
In November 2014 the former Internacional man signed a four-and-a-half year deal putting him on £155,000-a-week, so his exit will free up plenty of funds for a new arrival.
Roma’s box-to-box midfielder Radja Nainggolan is top of the wishlist with the two clubs haggling over a fee between £30-£40m.
Chelsea’s player-trading staff has proved to be better sellers than buyers in recent seasons with the £50m they brought in for David Luiz and the £25m they got for Ramires.
So they will be expected to bring in the bulk of the funds required to rebuild the back four with Juventus pair Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli hugely popular with Conte, if he gets the final say.