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5 players Diego Simeone would sell at Chelsea

By Rucker Haringey

MADRID, SPAIN - OCTOBER 25: Head coach Diego Pablo Simeone of Atletico de Madrid encourages the audience during the La Liga amtch between Club Atletico de Madrid and Valencia CF at Vicente Calderon Stadium on October 25, 2015 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)
MADRID, SPAIN - OCTOBER 25: Head coach Diego Pablo Simeone of Atletico de Madrid encourages the audience during the La Liga amtch between Club Atletico de Madrid and Valencia CF at Vicente Calderon Stadium on October 25, 2015 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 07: Jesse Lingard of Manchester United tackles Cesar Azpilicueta of Chelsea during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on February 7, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 07: Jesse Lingard of Manchester United tackles Cesar Azpilicueta of Chelsea during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on February 7, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) /

4. Nemanja Matic

Eden Hazard has gotten a lot of criticism for his drop in play from last season to this year, but Nemanja Matic’s also had a significant drop in quality. Simeone would certainly not be the right manager to allow Matic to rebuild his Chelsea career.

Matic’s Whoscored.com player rating dropped from 7.50 last season all the way down to 6.95 this year. That’s a huge statistical drop for a player who is still just 27-years-old. His mediocre play this season has managed to make Cesc Fabregas look like the more athletic of the club’s defensive midfielders. That’s not good news for the Serbian international.

Simeone would also prefer to have a more athletic, physical midfielder to play alongside Fabregas every week. I can’t see Simeone playing two defensive midfielders with such limited athleticism at the same time. Matic would figure to be the odd man out.

After all, he is not as good as Fabregas on the ball and his value previously has largely been based on his defensive contributions. If Matic isn’t serving as a terrific shield for the back four, his value is greatly diminished. Simeone can certainly bring in a defensive midfielder who can serve that role much better, and cheaper than Matic.

Next: 3. John Terry

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