Last night saw Chelsea apparently close in on a deal to sign a new defender, but as we’ve seen a few times over the last couple of years, signing players doesn’t slow down the club’s desire to get their hands on every top talent they can.
So despite a deal for versatile defender slash midfielder Renato Veiga apparently being forged, there’s chatter today that the Blues are also chasing Red Bull Salzburg defender Strahinja Pavlović.
The 23 year old has looked great at the Euros with Serbia, and like most players in the Red Bull system is highly rated and just waiting for a big move at the right moment. It seems like the Premier League are going to come calling this summer – Aston Villa and Newcastle are both also being linked.
We’ve heard so often that Chelsea want more left sided players in their defence, and Pavlovic would be another of those. Caught Offside report that he’s got a £25m valuation, which would likely be a bargain for a player at the perfect age – he’s got enough experience to be ready for the Premier League right away, but with plenty of room still to grow.
Don’t rule it out – despite Veiga transfer
Chelsea have shown they’re not afraid to spend £20m or so on far less experienced players. Just think of Omari Kellyman from the last few weeks for starters. So this deal really does add up financially. It’s hard to see how the Serbian would fit into the first team squad at the moment, but it only takes a couple of sales to change the equation.
Plus, would it be impossible that he goes to Strasbourg on loan for a year? It gives us a chance to find a buyer for someone like Axel Disasi, plus allowing the youngster to take a halfway step between the Austrian League and the Premier League.