Joe Cole has named Robert Lewandowski and John Stones his two dream signings for Chelsea this summer after urging the club to alter their transfer policy.
Under the BlueCo ownership led by Behdad Eghbali’s Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly, Chelsea have targeted elite young talent on long-term contracts with their oldest recruit last summer Joao Pedro on the age of 24.
While the club did return to the Champions League this season, their swift and brutal last 16 exit by the hands of Paris Saint-Germain underlined the gulf at school between them and Europe’s elite. Having lost their last three Premier League games on the bounce, Liam Rosenior’s side at the moment are in a desperate scrap to qualify for Europe’s premier club competition again next season.
With the present recruitment policy perhaps not paying off, Egbhali has suggested the club will goal ‘ready-made’ players this summer to take the Blues ‘to the subsequent level.’
Cole, who won three Premier League titles during Chelsea’s most successful era, believes the present squad is crying out for experience and leadership in defence and up front.
Lewandowski is coming to the top of a unprecedented profession together with his contract at Barcelona expiring at the top of the present campaign. At 37, the previous Bayern Munich star continues to be a potent goal threat with 17 in 40 appearances to his name this season.
Stones meanwhile has been an integral figure under Pep Guardiola at City but is one other who is ready to grow to be a free agent at the top of the season.
While injuries have limited him to simply 15 appearances, this term, Cole believes the 31-year-old can still play a key role on guiding a young Chelsea defence.
‘We want experience, someone to are available and support the young players,’ Cole exclusively told Metro when asked for his dream signings this summer.
‘I can be Lewandoski. If his contract is up at Barcelona, get him in for a 12 months.
‘That might work, someone to are available and help the young players. He’s a giant name, has that stature and can be an enormous presence within the dressing room. I believe he could really help Joao Pedro and Liam Delap.
‘John Stones as well perhaps if City let his contract expire. He’s one other who may very well be an big presence within the dressing room, to assist and nurture the good young centre-halves we’ve at Chelsea. He won’t give you the option to play 50 or 60 games anymore but will improve players around him.’
Arsenal and Manchester City have led the way in which in getting football operations off the pitch right lately with Manchester United getting their act together somewhat last summer.
While Cole believes a change in how Chelsea go about their recruitment would produce results, he will not be convinced it starts this summer.
‘I’d welcome it but I don’t think it would occur,’ he said. ‘They can be financial decisions again. Arsenal and Manchester City have been run easily to construct a football team on the grass. Obviously there may be business in place as of late because clubs are huge cooperate entities. But unless Chelsea do this fully, they are going to struggle.
‘You continue to must get the appropriate players in. If the appropriate players is 28 years-old and costs a fortune, you purchase the appropriate player. Buy the appropriate players to construct the team.’
Cole has partnered up with Samsung for his or her Raise The Bar initiative to guide a seek for local pubs needing a TV upgrade in time for England’s World Cup campaign this summer.
‘Nothing beats live sport, especially when it’s England and international football,’ Cole said. ‘We’re calling on fans to nominate their local to win 1000’s of kilos value of latest tech in order that they can hopefully watch England lift the trophy in style this summer.’
To get behind your local and ‘Raise the Bar’ for its World Cup coverage, people can vote here: watchitonasamsung.com
MORE: Chelsea prepared to sell £40m star only a 12 months after shock transfer
MORE: Alan Shearer’s Premier League predictions including Man City vs Arsenal and Chelsea vs Man Utd
MORE: Rio Ferdinand claims only three managers would reject Manchester United to affix Arsenal