L'Equipe are claiming that Chelsea are on the verge of signing Marouane Fellaini from Everton this week, suggesting that they will meet his buyout and offer him an improved wage to join Chelsea FC. I have been a big fan of bringing in the versatile Belgian for some time, so I'm certainly hoping that this report is accurate. With that said, I'm skeptical to say the least.
The French paper has gotten things right with Chelsea before, and largely due to that I decided it's worth a mention on the front page. There doesn't appear to be much sourcing in this particular report though, which is why I was a bit hesitant to run with it. While I'm certain of the fact that we've been fans of Fellaini for quite a while, I've yet to see anything this window that would make me believe a January deal is particularly likely.
With that in mind, Fellaini could fill several voids for the club should he end up joining. He'd be an excellent emergency center forward, and can play quite a few roles in our midfield. He'd add threat to our set pieces, and they are already quite a weapon with the players we have to bring forward. If rumors of his buyout are true, I see very little reason to believe that Chelsea would not be interested.
That certainly doesn't mean that Fellaini would push for a January move, as Everton are currently doing very well in the Premier League. A January move to a club still involved with the Champions League would make loads of sense, but unfortunately Chelsea are playing in Europa this spring.
I really do hope that this report proves to be accurate, as I'd love to see Chelsea add a unique player like Fellaini to the group they already have at Cobham. If their is any truth to it at all, I'd guess we something a bit more substantial on the matter shortly. I'm not counting on it, but I'm certainly keeping my fingers crossed.