This one's one of those that tend to pop up to fill midweek lulls. It's got it all: tenuous conjecture, convoluted sourcing, eye-catching buzzwords. Tracing its genesis is half the fun.
First reported a couple days ago by AS as a throwaway blurb buried at the bottom of a transfer rumor roundup, apparently Mourinho still wants to stage a Sami Khedira rescue mission. AS claim that this rumor is from and continues to be hyped by the English media, which is a bit strange since I haven't seen such a mention by any major English outlet since the fall. Starting on solid ground then.
As any good clandestine operation, the rumor then took a diversionary detour to Italy, where Tuttomercato picked it up and elevated it to the top of Mourinho's shopping list for the summer. Like fine wine, it was then allowed to sit for a bit, before Mundo Deportivo broke the seal this morning. Having correctly predicted moves such as Mata and David Luiz to Barcelona, Oriol Romeu to Málaga, and a sensational swap of Petr Cech for Victor Valdes, MD's word was finally loud enough to travel all the way up to the British Isles, where talkSport duly obliged by reporting it as one of their own finely sourced rumors.
Having now accomplished what the Spanish Armada failed to do, this latest Khedira-to-Chelsea rumor is sure to conquer England in the next 24-48 hours. Brace yourselves. Early signs indicate that some sources have rememebered Khedira's "Mourinho's Disciple" quote from the fall, so OH MY GOD YOU GUYS IT'S HAPPENING.
For realsies this time. Most definitely. Just like Cavani.
Oh...
N.B. Khedira tore his ACL in November and is a doubt for the World Cup. Löw is optimistic, but we all know how knee injuries can derail careers. There were rumors of a contract extension a few weeks ago, but friend of the blog Lucas Navarrete thinks that's highly unlikely. His current contract runs through the end of next season. I would be a very happy man if we signed him.