Chelsea are off to a slow start in the transfer market unfortunately, as they are yet to sign their first outfield player of the summer. Having said that, the Blues have enough resources to buy players in a jiffy and expect the transfer business to liven up in a few weeks’ time.
Of late, the Blues have been linked with a £17million move for Lazio star Keita Balde Diao and will have to compete with Liverpool and Juventus for his signature.
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Keita is contracted with the club until 2018 which is why he will cost the aforementioned price, cheap by today’s market standards.
Here’s a SWOT analysis on the attacking star.
Strengths
Keita Balde showed last season that he can take on defenders and beat them at will. He has pace to burn and his quick feet means he can make use of the ball even in the tightest of situations.
He is also fairly versatile and can play on the left or lead the line if needed. He scored 10 goals from seven games while playing as a centre-forward, which perhaps says he prefers playing up front and showcase his clinical ability in front of goal. His overall goals tally was 16 goals last season in the Italian league.
Weaknesses
Not many, really. You could say that his stature means he won’t be used as a target man, but considering his other skills, that shouldn’t be a major topic of discussion. His defensive contribution isn’t the best either, which means he won’t be an ideal replacement for Diego Costa who could be on his way out. The Spaniard use to work his socks off for the West Londoners.
Opportunities
Keita has proven himself in the Serie A, which is a tough league for a striker to thrive in because of the better defensive organisation in the league. His goal return means he will be given a good run of games to acclimatise at his potential new surroundings.
Chelsea have Champions League football next season, so they need all the squad depth they can get. That’ll help Keita get more game time as well.
The general open nature of the Premier League also means Keita, just like Manolo Gabbiadini and Marcos Alonso, can make an impact on the attacking front.
Threats
The Premier League is quite demanding, so that is one aspect Keita will have to watch out for. There is also no winter break, and games will come thick and fast, so a small goalless run could become a longer drought if Keita doesn’t keep his head down and work on his progress. Lest we forget, he is still an extremely young player at the age of 22.