With no Champions League football for Chelsea next season, is the financial squeeze set to start?
The reason I ask that leading question is that an interesting piece of transfer speculation has appeared in the red-top publication, the Mirror, which suggests that Chelsea are looking at bringing a centre-forward to the club this summer.
But, whereas in the past we’ve become accustomed to the club spending big when it comes to strikers, the latest example being Alvaro Morata, the indication this year is that we may be shopping in what is known as the bargain bucket.
The rumour I stumbled upon, suggests that Chelsea are interested in the West Bromwich Albion striker, Salomon Rondon, with a fee of £16 million being mentioned for the 28-year-old.
After suffering the indignity of relegation, the Baggies, although looking to keep the bulk of their squad together, are resigned to losing several players, with Rondon being one player they will, more than likely, be parting company with.
Now, whilst not looking to disrespect Rondon, he’s always struck me as the type of player that you never know what you are going to get from him.
At times he really does look the business, but on other occasions, he looks as if he’s out of his depth.
But, perhaps playing in a struggling side has done the player no favours, perhaps there is, even at 28-years-of-age, some untapped talent there, a rough diamond ready to be polished, which would explain why Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United are also mentioned as possible destinations for the player.
However, the whole tone of the possible deal leaves me feeling a little cold, even more so when other clubs in the top echelons of the Premier League are looking to spend big this summer.
Has our time as a big-spending club really come to an end?
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