Chelsea are said to be running the rule over Swansea City’s prolific striker Wilfried Bony, although he might not be the only striker on the radar of the Premier League leaders.

The Blues are also reportedly keen on Inter Milan’s young star, Mauro Icardi. Landing the 21-year-old would offset the club’s potential failure in their attempts to land Borussia Dortmund’s lethal attacker Marco Reus.

Meanwhile, the best news for Chelsea this winter could be the proposed availability of Atletico Madrid centre-back Miranda. He’s the exact style of defender Blues boss Jose Mourinho usually covets.

But it’s Bony who rates as the most surprising name on the list of Chelsea’s latest targets. Rory Smith and Tony Barrett of The Times (subscription required), state that chief Chelsea scout Mick Doherty was recently an interested observer when Bony and Swansea were beaten 4-1 by Liverpool.

But Chelsea face stern competition from Premier League title rivals Manchester City. That’s according to Matt Law of The Telegraph.

However, Law states the Swans have made moves to ensure they can demand maximum value for their prolific target man:

City face having to spend around £50 million in transfer fee and wages if they decide to follow up their interest in Bony after Swansea took the release clause out of the Ivory Coast international’s contract. There was a £19 million release clause in Bony’s initial Swansea contract, but that was removed when his new deal, which runs to 2018, was signed in November, allowing the Welsh club to name their price for the 26-year-old.

That could deter Chelsea, who hardly have an immediate need for a striker. Mourinho‘s squad can currently rely on Diego Costa. Although his durability and temperament are questionable, the former Atletico Madrid man is in fine form.

Veteran Didier Drogba can also still offer a lot coming off the bench. So can Loic Remy, who, when healthy, has the pace to complement Costa and Drogba‘s power.

However, Mourinho might decide Bony offers a more all-round game. He combines pace, technical guile and awesome physical strength, qualities that recently convinced B/R’s Sam Tighe to dub him a “complete forward:”

But if Mourinho decides Bony is too expensive at the current rate, he could try to lower the fee for Icardi. Mohamed Salah would be the key to that type of deal.

The out-of-favour winger is tipped to be offered as a makeweight, according to Daily Star reporter Alex Harris:

The Nerazzurri are exploring the potential of a loan deal for the 22-year-old but reports suggest Chelsea could use him as bait in a bid to sign Icardi.

Speculation earlier this month suggested Inter are willing to offload the £32m-rated striker in a bid to free up funds for Roberto Mancini to spend.

Icardi is certainly a different type of striker to the ones Chelsea already possess. He is less a natural centre-forward and more a roaming attacker, one who can thrive wide or through the middle.

Icardi is at his best when he has the freedom to roam from the flanks and ghost into central positions. In that sense, he fits with the growing fluidity in Chelsea’s attack.

Those qualities make Icardi a good alternative to Reus. The Germany international is another forward who defies positional definitions.

Reus was set to be one of the most coveted targets in the January window. But it appears as though reigning La Liga champions Atletico Madrid may have beaten Premier League suitors to the punch.

That’s according to Daily Star reporter Chisanga Malata. He’s cited sources in Spain: “Well respected Spanish journalist Juan Gato, who works for Punto Pelota, yesterday sensationally claimed that Atletico boss Diego Simeone had agreed a deal in principle to sign the coveted German.”

If Atletico have wrapped up a deal for Reus, it could free Miranda to be sold during the winter window. The rock-solid central defender has now been made available for “£19.5 million,” per Daily Star writer Rhys Turrell.

During the past two seasons, the 30-year-old Brazilian has formed a fearsome partnership with Uruguayan bruiser Diego Godin. This stingy pairing has been broken up at times this season, thanks to the form of youngster Jose Gimenez.

That could provide Mourinho with the cue to add Miranda as a quality third option behind John Terry and Gary Cahill. Youthful Frenchman Kurt Zouma hasn’t really made his mark, and the Blues are still very reliant on 33-year-old Terry.

The Bony rumour is definitely the most intriguing. He fits the mould of the quick and bullish striker Mourinho loves to count on to lead the line.

However, any deal in January seems unlikely. So does a proposed bid for Icardi. Even Miranda seems destined to avoid Stamford Bridge, despite Mourinho‘s fondness for uncompromising defenders.

Instead, it’s safer to assume Chelsea will stick with what they have for the remainder of the season. After all, Mourinho‘s squad is well stocked in every area.

Spending big now would only disrupt the balance.

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2315414-chelsea-transfer-news-wilfried-bony-rumours-emerge-latest-on-marco-reus-more
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