da pinnacle： Premier League leader Chelsea are on the lookout for a new left-back this summer.
da dobrowin： Brazilian international Filipe Luis has struggled to find his place in the first team since signing from Atletico Madrid last summer, and it has been suggested he could be on his way back to Spain after just one unsuccessful campaign at Stamford Bridge.
And with manager Jose Mourinho looking to get rid of his dead wood in order to compete at a higher level in Europe, Chelsea have now been linked with West Ham defender Aaron Cresswell who has a had a superb season for West Ham.
Cresswell has played 36 games for the Hammers this season, scoring two goals for the east London outfit, and has been seen as one of the bargains of the season – costing under £3million when he signed from Ipswich Town in 2014.
West Ham are determined to keep the 25-year-old but at the moment they are reluctant to offer him a new contract, due to him signing a five-year deal when he joined. There could be a lot of discussions to be had as it is understood Manchester City are also interested.
So, would Aaron Cresswell be the right signing for Jose?
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Chelsea’s preferred left-back this season is Spanish 25-year-old Cesar Azpilicueta. He has played 28 games so far this term, and has greatly improved as the season has progressed.
When looking at this season’s statistics, Chelsea’s left-back has been better as a defender than Cresswell as he has made more interceptions and blocked more crosses than his Hammers counterpart. So defensively it seems he is the better choice but when it comes to attacking, Cresswell comes out on top.
If Mourinho wants a more attack-minded option then the Englishman will be a great choice to add to the team. Cresswell has an overall pass success rate of 84% for this season, which is pretty impressive for any player in the Premier League. This is compared to Azilicueta’s 54%, which, while still good, does not compare.
In his debut Premier League season Cresswell has been one of the standout players for Sam Allardyce’s team, but reports show that West Ham are willing to sell him if they can get around £20million for him. Mourinho has already stated during the season that they cannot spend big this summer due to Financial Fair Play. They still have spending power but it is unlikely they are going to want to spend that much on someone with no Champions League or playing in Europe experience.
This fee shows just how much West Ham want to keep their man. While he has proved to be a key asset to the club, he hasn’t done nearly enough to see his value increase by that staggering amount.
If Cresswell does end up at Chelsea it is likely he will spend most of his career on the bench. He is a good attacking defender, but for for Chelsea but he isn’t any better than what they have now.
They might want him, but not enough to spend that kind of money.
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