Stoke City are insisting that any transfer negotiations with Chelsea over Bosnian goalkeeper Asmir Begovic must include Victor Moses as part of the deal, according to The Telegraph.
With Petr Cech’s move to Arsenal nearing completion, the West London side are keen to seal the signing of a replacement as quickly as possible in preparation for the 2015/16 season.
Stoke’s unexpected demands have halted discussions and Jose Mourinho is now faced with an unwanted decision over the future of one of his young prospects.
Mourinho holds Moses in high regard – demonstrated by his attempts to recall the versatile winger from his loan spell at the Britannia during the last transfer window – however, the reality is that Moses is unlikely to ever reach the standard necessary to hold down a place in the starting XI at Stamford Bridge.
On the surface of it, a swap deal would appear to be a healthy compromise for all parties involved, but Chelsea have taken great care to eke out the best possible deals in recent transfer windows and may be inclined to seek out a stronger bargaining position if they do decide to sell.
Moses is an exciting young winger with numerous potential suitors. Involving him in complicated and restrictive player exchange negotiations would only serve to drive down his market worth and reduce the overall value of the Begovic deal.
If Stoke City decide to stand firm, it’s likely that Chelsea will move on to other transfer targets, including Robert Green and John Ruddy.
The advantage of having an extra home grown player in the Chelsea squad will not have escaped Mourinho’s attention. Both of the aforementioned English keepers have proven themselves in the Premier League and may also be less concerned than Begovic about limited gametime.
