Should Antonio Conte Bring This £50Million-Rated Brazilian Star To Chelsea?
Chelsea are reportedly keen on bringing £50million-rated Juventus left-back Alex Sandro to Stamford Bridge in January. The defender has been struggling at the Italian club and with Antonio Conte interested in his services, a move to the Premier League could be on the cards. He was linked with the club over the summer but the deal did not materialise. However, Sandro has failed to fit into Massimiliano Allegri’s new tactical set-up and the upcoming transfer window seems like an ideal opportunity for him to seek pastures anew.
The Blues did sign Davide Zappacosta in the summer transfer window but having Sandro in the ranks will definitely be an upgrade. Chelsea are heavily reliant on their full-backs under Conte’s tutelage and to have a fine addition like Sandro does seem like a move in the right direction. Marcos Alonso currently occupies the wing-back slot on the left wing but to have an alternative in the form of Sandro could work wonders for Conte’s team.
The defending champions did not really get off to a good start in the Premier League this time. They lost to Burnley on the opening day of the season and have endured a topsy-turvy spell ever since. Lately, their displays have been encouraging enough and they are currently occupying 3rd place in the table and are 3 points behind second-placed Manchester United.
It is a good place and they are not in any danger but they are also far from successfully defending the coveted English Premier League trophy. It may not be a bad situation but Conte’s team have lacked zeal at times this season and an addition like Sandro could help them.
The Brazilian’s influence was evident in the Champions League and Serie A last season as the Old Lady were touted as having the strongest defence. Their back line was a fortress and although they lost the elite European championship to Real Madrid in the end, Sandro contributed quite a lot to their good fortunes. He could probably do the same for Chelsea. Finishing in the top-four will be a priority for Conte this season but he will need reinforcements ahead of next season.
However, it will be interesting to see what this means for Alonso. He has been in exemplary form for the Blues this time and to compete with a player like Sandro could eat away at his time on the field. That said, the club are short of options in that area and if an injury was to befell him, Conte would seriously be in trouble. While the move could benefit Chelsea on the whole, it remains to be seen how it would affect Alonso.