Pogba IN, Oscar and Ramires OUT: Is That A Perfect Summer For Chelsea?

The race for Paul Pogba is heating up across the continent. Big European clubs – Manchester United, Manchester City, Real Madrid and PSG – are all wooing the Juventus midfielder. Chelsea have now entered the fray with a unique offer. Mourinho buys Pogba and in return makes two of his players available for Juventus to pick up. A possible £75 million dollars for Pogba will give Juventus enough resources to buy the two Chelsea midfielders, Oscar and Ramires. The mutual benefits of this deal for Chelsea and Juventus are debatable.

Mourinho’s last midfield signing has gone unnoticed. Juan Cuadrado has been conspicuous since his arrival at Stamford Bridge. Pogba will be wary of a similar fate in a Chelsea squad which hardly deserves any alteration. The French midfielder who has played in central midfield and sometimes on the left wing has scored 9 goals and 4 assists in his 30 appearances for Juventus this season. He has recently been confined to the side-lines due to injury but that has hardly been detrimental to clubs’ interest in acquiring his services.

Ramires and Oscar are not Paul Pogba

Chelsea’s willingness to offload Ramires is understandable. The Brazilian has been unable to contribute to the blues’ title winning campaign this year. He has made 22 appearances and scored just the solitary goal. He created a paltry 10 chances in those 22 games, which is a dismal return for a midfielder of any calibre. Oscar on the other hand has been quite influential. His 6 goals and 8 assists in the 28 games he has been a part of, have gone a long way to shaping the course of Chelsea’s season. Oscar’s partnership in the midfield with Fabregas and Hazard has fuelled the attack and tormented many defences.

It is Oscar, Pogba will be replacing. Including Ramires in the deal is just an act of mercy to save the Brazilian’s career. Pogba brings a range of abilities which Mourinho can put to use. His long range shooting and dribbling are formidable. Unlike Oscar, Pogba wins many of his aerial duels and is a threat during set pieces. The trip to Turin though, will be a pleasant one for Oscar whereas Ramires will have a very small probationary period in which to prove himself. He will have to put in some extraordinary performances to feature alongside the likes of Andrea Pirlo.

Chelsea have to play hard ball

The line of suitors for Pogba is only growing and Mourinho will have to contend with all of  them. Real Madrid and Manchester City have significant financial resources to see the deal through. While Mourinho has Abramovich’s backing, his brand of management does not indicate he will go anywhere close to breaking the world record transfer fee in acquiring Pogba. The other two clubs, Manchester United and PSG are both calling Pogba home.

If the deal goes through smoothly, there is a lot to grain for Oscar and Ramires. A chance to be part of a Juventus side which looks set to win the Scudetto comfortably in the near future awaits. Juventus could grow in stature in Europe as well. The two Brazilians can learn a lot from the ample experience in the squad and shine in a league which will present new challenges for them. It is a win-win situation for all involved. But it will take a lot to see the deal through.