Last season, Chelsea supporters had to put up with a rather rough ride as their team stumbled to a 12th-place Premier League finish under Frank Lampard—the team’s fourth manager of the year, somehow.
Mauricio Pochettino’s arrival, the removal of deadwood, and the club’s record-breаking investment that resulted in an influx of youthful talent gave west Londoners hope that this year would be more rewarding than last.
But as December approaches, the Pensioners are once more middling in midtable and, barring a miracle, appear destined to finish outside of the Champions League spots for a second consecutive season.
But if Todd Boehly and company were to reach into their cartoonishly large wallets in January once more, they might be able to bring in the ideal player to get them out of this mess—someone who aspires to be the next Arjen Robben, Raphinha, a former Chelsea great.
News about Chelsea transfers – Raphinha
Chelsea is one of several teams ‘interested’ in signing the Barcelona winger and former Leeds United star in 2024, according to reports from Spain (via CaughtOffside).
Cross-town rivals Arsenal are listed as one of the other interested parties in the article, which also indicates that a proposal of around €70 million, or roughly £60 million, would be sufficient to get the Brazilian’s signature.
The “unplayable” winger, as AllLeedsTV host Oscar Marrio has characterized him, has previously piqued the interest of the Blues; last summer, the team was strongly linked to him before he decided to sign with the La Liga powerhouses.
If the team were to proceed, it would undoubtedly be an expensive move, but for a player with Premier League experience who possesses a “deadly left foot,” as journalist Owuraku Ampofo put it—a skill not too far from that of a certain legendary Dutchman—it would be worthwhile.
Raphinha might be the next Arjen Robben for Chelsea.
Are we suggesting that the Brazilian will eventually outperform the former Bayern and Blues star in terms of accomplishments? No, it is improbable that any player will ever be able to exactly duplicate the incredible performance the Flying Dutchman produced in his prime. After all, with 134 goals in all club competitions, that signature left foot was practically unstoppable.
The 26-year-old does, however, resemble the legend, and if Pochettino gave him a run of games, there’s no doubt that he would begin to perform.
The most notable resemblance among them all is that the bulk of his Premier League goals were scored with his left foot—you got it.
The Porto Alegre native, dubbed the “magician” by former teammate Daniel James, had 65 appearances in the top division and scored 17 goals, 16 of which came from his left foot. He has made four starts in La Liga this season and scored two goals, both with his left foot.
In the end, Chelsea can come pretty close to having a player as lethal with one foot as Robben—who scored 40 goals and provided 40 assists in 109 appearances for the Blues between 2004 and 2007—should they sign Raphinha from Barcelona.