3 Perfect Oscar Replacements For Chelsea To Sign In The Jan Window

It is official now. Chelsea have confirmed that Brazilian playmaker Oscar will be leaving Stamford Bridge in January to move to Chinese side Shanghai SIPG. After spending four and a half years with the Blues, the Brazilian will reunite with former boss Andre Villas Boas in China for a fee of £52 million.

Oscar had struggled to make inroads into the playing XI at Chelsea this season, with new manager Antonio Conte preferring to use Nemanja Matic and N’Golo Kante in the centre of the park. He had gotten a few chances to stake a claim for a spot, but the 25-year old struggled to make an impact from a deeper midfield role that was thrust upon him.

Oscar enjoyed a decent two and a half years at Chelsea, having made 287 appearances for the Londoners, scoring 56 goals. He gave some memorable moments for the fans, none more so than his sublime brace against Juventus in his debut Champions League match. However, he departs with clouds of unfulfilled potential over his head and a question of what might have been.

But Chelsea, who looked to be primed for the Premier League title this season, will want to bring in a replacement for their departing midfield star. However, they may not look to bring in a like to like replacement. Instead, an all-action defender who can play deeper and make vital contributions in attack and defence both, is what Conte will be looking for, to fit in his 3-4-3 setup. Here, we take a look at three options that Conte and Chelsea might benefit from investing in:

1. Radja Nainggolan

The Belgian has been a target for Chelsea for quite long now and the Blues also had a summer bid to sign Nainggolan rejected. Antonio Conte is believed to be a big fan of Nainggolan and we could expect him to make a move for the 28-year old in January.

Nainggolan has been one of the most consistent performers for AS Roma over the past few years and has continued in the same vein having scored 3 goals and assisted one strike in his 17 appearances. The Belgian has created the third highest number of chances (23) for Roma and has a very good success rate when it comes to attempted dribbles. He is no slouch defensively as well, having won 52% of his attempted tackles and having made 13 interceptions so far.

Full of energy and running, strong and physical, threat going forward and solid at the back, the 28-year old completely embodies what Antonio Conte requires from a midfielder. Nainggolan could be the perfect addition for Chelsea as they chase the Premier League title.

2. Marco Verratti

Marco Verratti is another player who has interested Chelsea in the past and someone Antonio Conte has worked with before and admires. Despite Paris Saint-Germain’s shaky start to the season under new manager Unai Emery, the Italy international has hardly put a foot wrong.

Having made 13 Ligue 1 appearances for the French heavyweights, Verratti has scored twice and has created 15 chances. His 88.5% pass-completion rate is better than Chelsea midfielders Nemanja Matic (88.2%) and Cesc Fabregas (84.8%). He also has an 88% success rate in the take-ons he has attempted while he has also shown his defensive capabilities, winning 57% of his duels, all of which are again, better than Matic and Fabregas.

Playing as a deep-lying playmaker, Verratti pretty much controls the game for PSG with his exemplary passing, excellent touch and sublime vision. The way he constructs an attack from the deep and the ease with which he plays has drawn comparisons to the great Andrea Pirlo.

A recent disagreement with Emery after being substituted on the hour mark against Marseille caused a stir around his future in the French capital. And if Chelsea were to somehow swoop in and prize away Verratti from the Les Parisiens, they will have one of the most promising midfielders in the game among their ranks.

3. Geoffrey Kondogbia

The French powerhouse has grown disillusioned with life at Inter Milan as he has struggled to get regular game time this term. And with the team going through an extremely low phase, it is natural that he is looking for a move away and Chelsea, who have been linked with the player, could capitalize on the former Monaco midfielder’s situations.

Kondogbia has only featured 9 times in the Serie A this season for the Nerazzurri and has no goals and one assist to his name. However, despite the ins and outs from the team, the 23-year old has impressed each time he has been called upon. A pass success rate of 88%, and a dribbling success percentage of 86 highlight his impressive abilities with the ball at his feet. Having made 12 successful interceptions and tackles each, he has shown his defensive nous and game awareness and given a constant run, can develop into a key player for the team.

A versatile midfielder, adept at playing as a centre-back and left-back, Kondogbia is another player in the mould of Conte’s ideal midfielder. His dribbling abilities, combined with his eye for a pass and the aggressive tackling could provide the perfect balance for the Blues in the midfield.