Chelsea seem to be stepping up their pursuit of Radja Nainggolan, even though there are rumours of Roma trying to lock the Belgian star down to a long term contract. The midfielder played in Belgium’s loss against Italy at Euro 2016 but didn’t really shine.
There were a number of Belgian players that had poor games in that fixture against the Azzurris but Nainggolan remains one of the best players in that team and would be an incredible buy for the Blues.
Chelsea’s players were extremely poor in the 2015/16 campaign and would need some fresh blood under Antonio Conte to get to the top of the Premier League. Nainggolan might be 28-years-old, but here are three reasons why he is the main man Chelsea need.
A midfield dynamo-
If there is one thing that Nainggolan will bring into the Chelsea team, it would be his incredible running ability. The Belgian is known for his energy and that would be crucial to his game for the Blues.
He might not have the greatest range of passing, but one thing is a given, a midfield duo of Nainggolan and Cesc Fabregas would be one of the best in the league simply because of all the running and covering they do. It would take a hit on the creativity of the Chelsea side, but that isn’t a problem, Nainggolan can dribble well and that should be enough for the Blues to set up attacks next season.
A tough character-
Brendan Rodgers’ favourite word “character” makes an appearance here and for good reason too. Playing in Italy is one thing, but playing in the Premier League is a different story. Having to face the likes of West Bromwich Albion or playing at Stoke aren’t the easiest of things in the world and you need to be a special kind of player to get things done right.
Nainggolan wouldn’t be fazed if he does play against some of the more physical teams in the Premier League and Chelsea have needed someone like him. They might have Matic and Branislav Ivanovic but the tenacity and toughness that the Belgian will bring to the side will be at another level and surely make them tough in midfield at least.
Will not take things lying down-
There were too many times last season when the player just did not perform, even after taking leads, they conceded soft goals and went down like a pack of cards with no real intent on fixing things.
This could be the main reason why Nainggolan is being brought to the club, his demeanour does show that he will not take things lying down and will give a kick up the backside to the players if they aren’t going to put in enough energy for the side.
He is a leader of the team and that has been an issue with Chelsea for a while now. They do not have the likes of Didier Drogba, Michael Ballack or Petr Cech to keep the squad going strong and it is time for them to bring in the Radja and let him fix the team up.
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