Schurrle completes Chelsea move, but where will he play?

Andre Schurrle has completed his dream £18 million move from Bayer Leverkusen as he becomes the first of Jose Mourinho’s signings of his second reign. Many Chelsea fans may have limited knowledge of the German attacker, but Chelsea have acquired the services of a tremendous talent with huge potential. At 22, Schurrle has already made 24 appearances for the German national side, scoring 7 goals in the process. Since earning a move to Leverkusen, he has established himself as a vital player, scoring 9 and 14 goals in successive seasons. Schurrle has been given the no 14 jersey for Chelsea, and his 5 year contract is a sign of faith by the club that Schurrle will be a long term success in London.

Schurrle can play anywhere across the front line, whether it be as a central striker or as an attacking wide player, and it remains to be seen where Mourinho plans to use the versatile German. Speaking ahead of his move, Schurrle was optimistic and excited about starting work under Mourinho.

“I first met Jose Mourinho at Michael Ballack’s farewell game in Leipzig last week, he was in charge of my team, the World Select side. We met before the game, he shook my hand and told me ‘Everything has gone through, and you are my player’. That was a wonderful feeling. My first impression of him was that he truly has a special personality. He is a cool guy as well. I spoke about him with my national team-mates Sami Khedira and Mesut Ozil, who have played under him for Real Madrid. They both told me he is the best coach they have ever worked with. I don’t fear suffering the same fate as Marko and just being a replacement. I will try to make my way at Chelsea.”

It is telling that Schurrle mentions national and now club teammate Marko Marin. Marin signed for Chelsea just over 12 months ago, but he has failed to make any progress in establishing himself as a viable first choice option. This was obviously a consideration for Schurrle, but he seems confident that he can succeed where Marin failed. He faces tough competition, but it’s a fight that he seems up for. Hazard, Oscar and Mata have all made terrific starts to their Chelsea careers, but they have rarely had their positions challenged, with Victor Moses and infrequently Ramires being the only real alternatives for the last season. It is entirely plausible that Oscar could do a job deeper in midfield, just as it makes sense that we have more than 3 first choice players for 3 positions.

There is no doubt that Schurrle will have to settle quickly at Chelsea if he is to have a lasting impact on this team. Being Mourinho’s first big signing will help, but Schurrle will be acutely aware what happens to players who fail to make an early impression at Chelsea. He has the potential to be an incredible player for us – I sincerely hope that he gets the opportunity.

Tell us, how do you see Schurrle fitting in to this Chelsea side?