Report: Chelsea sign Andre Schurrle

Just so everyone's clear: Most people don't really a clue what's going on with Andre Schurrle. A deal has been agreed and then it hasn't been agreed and now it's up in the air but oh wait a deal's been agreed and he's on his way to Chelsea:

Chelsea sign Leverkusen's Andre Schürrle for €20m, according to "Express". Völler and Mourinho have reportedly reached an agreement tonight.

— Daniel B. (@dan_bu) June 5, 2013

Got that? Good. It's difficult to say whether this is genuine news or opportunistic transfer-rumouring in light of the Michael Ballack testimonial, but it represents a minor departure from the earlier reports regarding Schurrle's move to Stamford Bridge -- a loan deal for Kevin de Bruyne is apparently no longer on the cards. Instead, Bayer Leverkusen will replace their departing star with HSV's Heung-Min Son.

The price as cited isn't a bad deal at all for a versatile 22-year-old who's a different style of player than anyone we have in the attacking band at the moment. Schurrle's not a particularly popular buy, but I think most fans are misguided on this one -- he's a genuinely elite player who's been impressive in both the Bundesliga and the German national team. Plus he clearly wants to come to Chelsea, which is a mark in his favour.

What becomes of Kevin de Bruyne now? I think he probably gets loaned out. Having Mata, Hazard, Oscar, Moses, Schurrle and Marin means that his development will almost certainly be impeded by a return to Stamford Bridge. Dortmund seem like a reasonable choice, although if he goes there on a permanent loan I think I'll be obligated to set several bystanders on fire.