Mourinho firing may cost Chelsea long-term transfer target
Rumors are flying that Liverpool may swoop in for long-time Chelsea target Alex Teixeira
Firing Joe Mourinho may ultimately cost Chelsea one of its longest tenured transfer targets. Liverpool has come forward with a 24.5 million pound offer to win the signature of Shakhtar Donetsk attacker Alex Teixeira.
It was widely known that Mourinho’s departure would have significant effects on the Chelsea roster, but most assumed it would have more to do with the players who might leave the squad. Instead, it appears that one of the biggest blows may come in the form of a missed transfer opportunity.
Teixeira has been linked with Chelsea for quite a while. Reports have come and gone that Chelsea and Shakhtar have agreed to a fee for the talented attacker, but nothing has ever been finalized. In the meantime, it seems that Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool are primed to seize an opportunity to capitalize on Chelsea’s inability to close the deal.
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While most Chelsea fans will struggle to understand why Teixeira would opt for Liverpool over their beloved Blues, the explanation is really quite simple. Any player who agrees to move to Chelsea at this point in time, does so with very little idea about who their permanent manager will be. Guus Hiddink has been adamant that he’ll just be a caretaker and ideas about Chelsea’s next boss have been all over the board.
In sharp contrast, Jurgen Klopp’s job at Liverpool might be one of the safest in the Premier League. He’s in just his first season with the club, having taken over midstream from Brendan Rodgers, and the Anfield faithful are squarely behind him. He’ll be given quite a bit of time and resources to mold the squad in his image. As such, Teixeira can head to Liverpool feeling comfortable about who his manager will be for the foreseeable future. For a player moving halfway across the world, I’d imagine this is a significant comfort.
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It’s likely that Teixeira won’t struggle to find playing time anywhere he goes. He’s quite a talent and his displays for Shakhtar on the season make it obvious that he’d be an upgrade in attack for either Chelsea or Liverpool. The ability to get on the field won’t factor in his decision.
Now the interesting thing to see in this transfer saga will be to see if Shakhtar encourages a bidding war between the two clubs. They’ve been difficult in their negotiations with Chelsea thus far, so I’d expect to see them hold out as long as they can to see if either Premier League side will substantially increase their bid.
Chelsea would be wise to make a bid to blow Liverpool out of the water and end this transfer saga once and for all. Their lack of a permanent manager will require them to pay a premium for Teixeira, but they need him the most.