Rumored Chelsea defensive target signs with Valencia

It doesn't look as if Chelsea will be signing John Stones from Everton, and on Sunday, one of the potential alternatives that the club has been linked to was taken off of the market as well. Center back Aymen Abdennour has been linked to the Blues several times in the past few days, but on Sunday, Valencia confirmed that they've reached an agreement on a five-year deal with the defender.

Abdennour would have been an interesting option for Jose Mourinho's side, as by all accounts, he was absolutely sensational last season. That said, he's never excelled in one of Europe's top four leagues, and at 26, is probably fairly close to a finished product already. He'd have been a wild card, though certainly a risk that Chelsea could have afforded to take.

With Abdennour now officially off the market, it will be interesting to see where Chelsea turn their attention. We'll know shortly, however, as the window is almost closed.