Are Chelsea preparing for 6+5?

The transfer gossip linking Chelsea with the biggest players in world football has gone quiet over the past week or so. Dull, dull, dull.

We do need one or two choice additions but it’s not time to get worried just yet – the transfer window isn’t even formally open. Let’s see who Abramovich, Kenyon and Ancelotti rustle up in the next few weeks.

In the last week however, Chelsea have been linked with a few lower profile players. Firstly Sturridge, whose move on a free transfer (ish) from Manchester City seems to be all but done. Secondly we’ve been linked with Charlton playmaker Jonjo Shelvey – just 17 years of age and supposedly one of the hottest prospects in the country (see how Sky Sports reviewed him here). Finally, Ross Turnbull, the Middlesborough goalkeeper. From what I remember, Turnbull has been at a number of clubs (mostly on loan) before finally deciding to leave Middlesborough this summer. At 24, he’s still very young for a goalkeeper.

Clearly at least two of these deals are still to go through, but two thoughts immediately occur: one, that Chelsea do finally seem to be making their threat to buy for the future look genuine; and two, that they’re looking at English players.

New Champions League rules introduced last season placed new restrictions on the number of foreign players that could be named in each squad, so perhaps ‘buying English’ is merely the club’s attempt to give us as many options as possible in that competition. But the rumours also left me wondering if Chelsea are also preparing for the possibility that UEFA and FIFA will somehow get their way on 6+5, and are buying English players that could stay at the club whilst the new rules are being rolled out over the first half of the next decade. I’ll write more on the 6+5 debate over the next week or so, but fingers crossed these transfers aren’t being made now because the club know something we don’t on the issue.

On the other hand, many see having an English core as a desirable thing and the club might be looking ahead to a time when Terry, Lampard and the Coles have retired. Whatever the motivation though, I’m almost more encouraged that Chelsea are being linked with these type of players than I was a few weeks ago and the string of outside-bet, big money transfer rumours.

Know more about what we might expect from these three players if they joined than me? Have a different view on our supposed transfer targets? Post a comment.

Comments

[Anthony Calleja]

These type of transfers don't fill me with enthusiasm for our Chelsea Russell as
for me these are in the most the type of transfers a mid-table team makes not a
team like our Chelsea who after so many years of waiting finally after the
arrival of Roman Abramovic, our Chelsea finally became a top team winning or
fighting for the titles and cups. Our Chelsea should be there signing the big
players like we did in the past not picking up players nobody knows about or are
not worthy of being alongside our star players. I mean for example, how can
anybody, let alone someone in the Chelsea management see Ross Turnbull as an
understudy to Petr Cech; one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Henrique
Hilario is far better and why is Ross Turnbull available? Because he can't even
beat Brad Jones; not exactly a class keeper, to the first team spot at
Middlesbrough. As we well know it took a very long time for Chelsea to become a
top team but the way down to mediocrity can arrive very quickly if Chelsea don't
continue to buy the stars we did since Roman Abramovic arrived.