Mehdi Benatia wants Chelsea move

One of Manchester City’s top transfer targets for this summer has dealt Manuel Pellegrini and incredible blow, as it’s believe he wants to reject them in favour of a Chelsea switch.

The Daily Star relays reports from Italy which suggest that Roma lynchpin Mehdi Benatia is set to turn down the chance to move to the current Premier League champions, as he harbours hopes of being signed instead by Jose Mourinho. The Moroccan has been on the radar at the Etihad for some weeks now, and it’s thought City want to bring him in as a full-time defensive partner to club captain Vincent Kompany.

However Pellegrini is now staring down the barrel of an embarrassing rejection, as the 27-year-old, who enjoyed a very solid season at the Stadio Olimpico, has his eyes set on a Stamford Bridge switch. Rated at £30million the Roma man has risen to become one of Europe’s most sought-after assets and, despite the fact that Rudi Garcia is reportedly hell-bent on keeping his best players together to challenge Juventus’ dominance at the Serie A next season, a move to the Premier League is looking an increasingly likely prospect.

It’s said that Chelsea have lodged an enquiry to his current club to see how much scope there is for taking Benatia to Stamford Bridge, which will no doubt make the player himself happy. Mourinho has been extremely on point with his dealings in the transfer market so far, and it’s already looking like Francesc Fabregas and Diego Costa have all but cemented their places in his line-up next term.

However the Special One has earmarked the acquisition of a top central defender, and with his decision to allow backup choice Tomas Calas to join Cologne on a season-long loan only furthers his need to find another option. The ageing John Terry formed a solid partnership with Gary Cahill last campaign, but it remains to be seen whether or not the pair will be able to perform the same heroic feats this time around, and speculation would have you believe that Raphael Varane has also been targeted as a potential addition.

Youngster Kurt Zouma is also there to be considered of course, but rumours continue to infer that he will be farmed out on loan once more next season, and he very much looks like a player for the future rather than a feasible asset for the here and now.

As for City, Pellegrini will have to hope there’s more fish in the sea with regards to sourcing an alternative. With it having been confirmed that Joleon Lescott is leaving the club this summer, alongside the fact that neither Martin Demichelis or Matija Nastasic have been overly impressive when called upon, the Chilean needs to move fast if he is to guarantee defensive solidity in his bid to retain the English title.

Article taken from: http://www.givemesport.com/474665-mehdi-benatia-wants-chelsea-move

£30M Rated Ace Wanted By Chelsea

Mehdi Benatia is headed to London, according to the Daily Star, with the Moroccan international set to snub champions Manchester City, in favour of a move to Chelsea. Although the article contains no quotes attributed to Benatia, or anyone else for that matter, it does pose an intriguing question, who requires his services more?

Standing at over six feet tall, the Roma centre-back wouldn’t struggle with the physicality of the Premier League, although in reality his game relies more on tactical awareness and positioning than all-out strength.

He notched five goals in his first season as a Roma player, having joined in the summer from fellow Serie A side Udinese for €13.5 million, highlighting his danger at set-pieces. More impressive is the fact he was the leader of a defensive unit that only conceded twenty-five goals all season, compared to Manchester City’s thirty-seven, and Chelsea’s twenty-seven.

Jose Mourinho rightfully gained plaudits for the way his Chelsea side defended last season, in particular centre-back pairing John Terry and Gary Cahill. Cahill in particular has developed into a world-class centre halve, under the tutelage of both Mourinho and Terry.

The only issue is, at the age of 33, John Terry cannot continue to play thirty-four games a season, as he did last campaign. Benatia would alleviate the pressure on Terry, with the potential for a two games on, one game of policy, that was used when Chelsea played Branislav Ivanovic, Terry and Cahill at centre-back. When Terry eventually retires, the likes of Kurt Zouma and Tomas Kalas can also step into the first-team fold, in his abscence.

Manchester City’s need for a centre-back is more obvious. With Matjia Nastasic’s knee injury keeping the talented youngster on the sidelines, and Joleon Lescott departing Manchester City on a free, Vincent Kompany and Martin Demichelis are the only senior centre-backs at the club.

Similarly to the situation with Terry at Chelsea, Manuel Pellegrini will be concerned with how many games Demichelis was required to play last season, meaning a defender becomes a priority in the transfer window.

In truth, both teams would benefit from the services of Benatia, a marvellous defender, although with their lack of adequate defensive options, Manchester City are slightly more needy.

Benatia would be a brave man to turn down Manchester City with the expectation of joining Chelsea, and the lure of London is not as bright as it once was, in this cosmopolitan age! He will excel in the Premier League, so let’s hope someone is able to wrap up a deal.

Article taken from: http://threeandin.com/archives/40847?