Chelsea Make Move for Midfielder from a Europa League side

There is a lot of excitement and anticipation in the Chelsea fanbase about the appointment of Xabi Alonso.

The 44-year old being labelled by the club as "manager" and not "head coach" has not been lost on the fans, and that has lead to hope that he will be backed with the players he wants, and will have at least some control over transfers this summer and in future windows. 

This had lead to some people wondering if he wanted any reunions with the players he was so successful with at Bayer Leverkusen. It sort of makes sense. Piero Hincapie is at Arsenal, Florian Wirtz is at Liverpool, etc. Not the most viable. 

However, one player who could potentially be signed is Granit Xhaka, who was one of the most important players in that double winning side. Last summer, he signed for Premier League side Sunderland, and helped them to a Europa League finish despite being newly promoted - finishing above Chelsea in the proccess. 

Indeed, as Italian journalist Luca Cerchione - who some are saying was the first to break the news regarding Chelsea's interest in Marco Palestra - is reporting that Alonso has made a request to sign the midfielder, with the first offer being 30 million Euros (around 25 million pounds). 

Well, that's interesting. There is no doubt that Xhaka is a sublime player. He was so good at Leverkusen and helped them win the Bundesliga unbeaten with 90 points. He then moves to Sunderland and, as touched on earlier, helped them finish in a European spot. Serious influence at both of the last two teams he has signed for. 

Looking at it from a tactical fit at Chelsea, him and Moises Caidedo would be a very balanced midfield two. The one weakness from the Swiss captain is his lack of mobility, so having Caicedo next to him would be very handy. 

That all said, he is 34 this year. To spend 25 million on a player of that age does feel risky. However, there has been criticism that the club has not had enough experience in the side in recent years. He has never bene the quickest player, so he should be able to play for a few more years. 

Sometimes, transfers aren't about resale value. They can also be about improving the team, especially in the here and now. Certainly one to keep an eye on over the coming days and weeks.