Chelsea Could Sign £25m Rated DM In The Summer – Not Schneiderlin

In a report yesterday evening, London Evening standard claimed Tottenham midfielder Benjamin Stambouli is set to return back to France with Olympique de Marseille the most likely destination for the defensive midfielder. The midfielder has found playing time with Tottenham hard to come by this season and a return back to his country will make a lot of sense but such return will have a positive impact on Chelsea’s transfer businesses this summer.

Stambouli has only managed to start four matches for Tottenham so far this season and to further put his miserable season into perspective, he has only played for 406 minutes altogether. This is why we strongly believe there is some truth in the report by the London Evening standard.

Should Stambouli move to Marseille which is likely considering he was chased by the French club last summer before moving to Tottenham. Stambouli was reportedly in the transfer list coach Marcelo Bielsa handed to club president Vincent Labrune, but they failed to get the midfielder. Although there is a chance of Bielsa leaving the club this summer, Labrune is a well known admirer of the player and a move for him would still be likely regardless of who the manager of the club in the summer will be.

What this means for Chelsea is that they will then have a chance of signing Gianelli Imbula. Chelsea has been linked to a move for the 22-year-old midfielder in the last three transfer windows. A bid was reportedly put in for the player last January and was regretted largely because Marseille could not get in a replacement.

Gianelli Imbula was bought by Marseille for a reported fee of £6 million from Guingamp in July 2013 but should Mourinho be interested in him still, he is likely to cost as much as £25 million.

With Matic the only reliable defensive midfielder at the club and Zouma seen more as a centre back, Chelsea would do well to make a move for Imbula and the good thing is this time, they have a good chance of getting him.