Rumoured Mehdi Benatia

[petre.ispirescu 4,928]

Knowing City is limited by UEFA to only €60m in spending, this may be Mourinho trying to force City's hand and see if they are going to do everything to sign Benatia, even some €30m offer. Like this, they will be limited to only one or two players in this transfer window.

Not the best theory you know, but I gave it a shot. We all know Mourinho is a transfer market shark.

[Fernando 6,585]

@ChelsTransfer: Chelsea have sensationally hijacked #MCFC's move for #Roma star Mehdi Benatia after offering £18m plus striker Romelu Lukaku (Express) #CFC

18 million plus Lukaku?

Does not seems enough, we can add Courtois and Hazard there as well.

Is that good enough?

[LDN Blue 7,903]

It's good to see that everyone actually agrees that we should be using our own resources within the club as opposed to buying a new one! Shows how far we've come, we're no longer interested in marquees because everyone wants to see us make our own.. Just nice to read.

[jmarlow 458]

Doesn't really make sense to me either, especially if we sign a left back so Azpi can go back to his natural position.

We have JT, Cahill, Ivanovic, Zouma, Kalas, Omeruo and Christensen. Signing a CB this season would make no sense whatsoever.

Maybe after next season when JT finally leaves... That's the only way a CB signing would make sense.

Right now in defence we have (if we sign a new LB):

RB: Azpi, Ivan, Kalas, Omeruo

LB: New LB, Azpi, Bertrand/PVA

CB: JT, Cahill, Ivanovic, Zouma, Kalas, Omeruo & Christensen at a push.

Signing a CB makes 0 sense.

how do you know that Kalas, Omeruo & Christensen wont get loaned out? because that is what most likely will happen if we sign another CB.

[Berke 58]

But he will replace Luiz and it won't be with Zouma or Omeruo or any other young CB we have I bet you that.

Mourinho isn't scared to drop John Terry or Gary Cahill lol even if they have had a very good season together, if he thinks he can improve the team he will, he will want another CB to compete with Cahill, Terry and Kalas.

Competition for places can increase performances, look at Oscar as a #10 when Mourinho first came back to the club and said he's his number 10 and Mata must work to get that position back/in the team in comparison to after January when Mata left and he was the only real #10 here.

Very good points rasied

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

Do you really think Zouma and Omeruo are going to be at the club next season? Zouma will probably be loaned out and Omeruo definitely will be I think. Christensen will keep playing with the u21s leaving us with JT, Cahill, Kalas and Ivanovic (who Mourinho sees as a RB more than a CB given he basically played every game this season bar 3 of them in that position) so I think he will go after a CB even though Kalas had a very good debut vs Liverpool.

It wouldn't make sense for Mourinho to not go after a CB to replace Luiz given that the 3 others (Zouma, Omeruo and Christensen) are all very inexperienced players under the age of 21 with the possibility that 2 of them will be loaned out.

Theres rumors of us trying to get Varane from Real so I think a CB is going to be bought this summer for sure, might not be Varane, could be Benatia or maybe Mangala who knows.

I have a sneaking suspicion Omeruo will be at the club next year, most likely as a back up right back/centre back but I can't see him being loaned out. He has grown in stature at the club in a very short time.

[Duppy Conqueror 1,526]

With Zouma i think he needs some growing as i've seen alot of reckless challenges from him...he slides in way too often in the penalty box instead of getting the right angle on the attacker and staying on his feet to shadow block and out muscle him cleanly. He's been described as the new John Terry but from what i've seen of him he's the new Mickey Droy/Doug Rougvie. He could grow into a great but despite him having great physical size,he needs to grow in technique.

Kalas on the other hand plays like a true veteran,very polished defender..at the start of the season when Jose may want to give World cup players some light work i'd be calm about having him play instead of Cahill.

Omeruo i see as being groomed as a RB/CB..somebody to play the Ivanovic role in our squad. something Kalas can also do. Between them to they are fine for the 4th and 5th spot at CB on our depth chart. I expect both to be in our 1st team squad this year. I expect Omeruo to have a good World cup and impress Jose.

[iseah100 5,612]

With Zouma i think he needs some growing as i've seen alot of reckless challenges from him...he slides in way too often in the penalty box instead of getting the right angle on the attacker and staying on his feet to shadow block and out muscle him cleanly. He's been described as the new John Terry but from what i've seen of him he's the new Mickey Droy/Doug Rougvie. He could grow into a great but despite him having great physical size,he needs to grow in technique.

Kalas on the other hand plays like a true veteran,very polished defender..at the start of the season when Jose may want to give World cup players some light work i'd be calm about having him play instead of Cahill.

Omeruo i see as being groomed as a RB/CB..somebody to play the Ivanovic role in our squad. something Kalas can also do. Between them to they are fine for the 4th and 5th spot at CB on our depth chart. I expect both to be in our 1st team squad this year. I expect Omeruo to have a good World cup and impress Jose.

Think the maturity Kalas has shown o don't the field has anything to him being around JT? I think Zouma should be on the roster, no loan. He can learn from JT and improve. Benatia has no need here, not for the price + age. Cahill+Terry played nearly every game this season, 5 cb's is more than enough.

[Duppy Conqueror 1,526]

Think the maturity Kalas has shown o don't the field has anything to him being around JT? I think Zouma should be on the roster, no loan. He can learn from JT and improve. Benatia has no need here, not for the price + age. Cahill+Terry played nearly every game this season, 5 cb's is more than enough.

He looked calm and composed on loan..maybe JT has helped him but the improvement hasn't appeared as big as Zouma would have to make.Zouma at this stage has shown he has talent but he reminds me of Sakho at Liverpool at the moment.all a striker has to do is get a touch on the ball a split second before him and it's a penalty. We can keep 2 youngsters at the back to play CB and some at RB if needed but i'd rather Omeruo to go with Kalas..Zouma should go on loan to a club in England,let him get used to the slightly faster pace of english football and let another team deal with the bumps of losing penalties and going down to 10 men until he matures as a defender.

I don't want us to sign Benatia or any other CB this year,we can agree on that.

[Hutcho 8,443]

There's only about 3/4 defenders in the world good enough to break up the JT Cahill partnership.

Kalas has impressed, and ivanovic is still more of a CB than rb even though he has been playing there several years.

I'm not hugely against buying another defender but I am at spending so much.

We just sold David Luiz for what I would say was 20 mil more than he was worth, I would rather we spend it wisely than do a Liverpool and buy Andy Carroll.

[nadavTKL 1,787]

There's only about 3/4 defenders in the world good enough to break up the JT Cahill partnership.

Benatia considered by many as one of the top 5 CBs in the world. Ask a Seria A fan and he'll tell you.

Anyway, Roma’s sporting director Sabatini said last night that Benatia is not for sale, and only a offer of 60m euros would make him think.

Im happy City wont have him, with Kompany they would have been some pair.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

Sabatini on Benatia: "He is not for sale. Mehdi has been influenced by his agent. Anyone who wants Benatia will have to pay €61m (£49.6m)."

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

Sabatini on Benatia: "He is not for sale. Mehdi has been influenced by his agent. Anyone who wants Benatia will have to pay €61m (£49.6m)."

Looks like he is for sale afterall. Some news sources saying he is off to City. Very good signing for them if true.

[didierforever 7,349]

Looks like he is for sale afterall. Some news sources saying he is off to City. Very good signing for them if true.

benatia-kompany would be terryfying,

[DavidEU 2,023]

http://metro.co.uk/2014/07/13/romas-mehdi-benatia-wants-to-move-to-chelsea-and-play-for-jose-mourinho-4796369/

Metro saying that GdS are reporting that Benatia wants to move to Chelsea. Never seen much of this guy, what do people think?