Chelsea threatening to derail West Ham’s anchorman plans
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Chelsea’s Premier League title was, arguably, build on owning the best central-midfield partnership in the division.
Cesc Fabregas’ creativity dovetailed perfectly with Nemanja Matic’s bite to form the most stable of all bases in west London, so breaking up the duo isn’t likely to feature high on Jose Mourinho’s to-do list this summer.
What is key, it seems, is finding men able to best match the pair’s quality on the rare occasions they are rested and it looks like a dip into the transfer market is necessary to achieve it.
John Obi Mikel is rumoured to be on his way out as Matic’s defensive-midfield deputy, leaving the Special One little option but to buy a replacement.
His intended choice makes for bad reading for West Ham fans though, as Alex Song is rumoured to be the man Mourinho wants to bring in.
The Cameroon international spent this past season on loan at Upton Park from Barcelona, impressing enough that many at the east London club want to see a permanent deal for the player arranged.
However, with Slaven Bilic installed as the new West Ham boss over Sam Allardyce such a move may not be as high a priority for the Croatian.
On that basis, Mourinho could swoop to land the midfielder for around £5m, according to the Sunday Telegraph, although the move would certainly see Song swap a bit-part role on a title contender in Spain for a similar job in London.
The former Arsenal player thrived when given a starting spot on a regular basis for the Hammers, but must decide between a guaranteed starting spot or guaranteed trophies.
Song is certainly in demand, with reports suggesting that both Manchester City and clubs in Italy are monitoring his situation, although it is believed that staying in England, and in particular London, is the player’s main aim.
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