José Mourinho has lavished to the praise on our three major summer signings – Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas, and Filipe Luis. These three have cost a combined £82 million, but most of the money has been recouped through the sales of Romelu Lukaku and David Luiz.
Unlike in the last few transfer windows, Chelsea have concentrated on adding experience to the team. These three signings come to Chelsea at the peak of their careers. They may offer little in terms of resale value, but they are likely to be a key ingredient in the team for next five years. Jose said:
“We went for stability with these three guys. Diego, Cesc and Filipe. We went for stability and for players who would find it easy to adapt to our team.”
All three have been involved in the last two friendly matches. Even those sceptical about Costa and Luis may see that they are special players indeed. Of course, it is just a pre-season match, but even then, they have looked rather good. Mourinho says that Costa is a great addition to the team since he is a ‘fantastic player’. According to bookies, Costa is 13/2 to finish as the league’s top scorer next season. He said:
“He’s a great addition for us. He is a fantastic player.
“Technically he is very, very good. That’s why, lots of the players, they are so happy and so surprised, because his quality is even higher than what they expect.
“He is so strong physically and he gives so much effort during matches.
“When somebody sees him play, the first thing that gets into their eyes is exactly that, the capacity to work hard for the team, and to be so powerful and so strong physically.
“To have Diego, (Fernando) Torres and (Didier) Drogba as our strike force is something that gives us different qualities. We are really strong in that position now.”
Costa has created three goals and scored one in the pre-season friendly matches. Fabregas has also opened his Chelsea account with a brilliant free kick. The 27-year-old needs no introduction after having played in the Premier League for eight seasons with Arsenal. Mourinho continued:
“I see him as somebody who thinks football faster than the majority of the players.
“He is the kind of player we need in our midfield to bring us to a different dimension.
“The ball possession, the speed of the circulation, the decisive pass. He has everything.”
Filipe Luis comes into the team with big boots to fill. Ashley Cole was regarded as the world’s best left back in his prime. Chelsea will expect nothing but the best from Luis after having paid €20 million for a 29-year-old defender. Regarding the Cole replacement, Mourinho said:
“He is experienced. Very stable, very reliable. He is a player who normally does not make mistakes. He is very stable from a defensive point of view.
“He is left-footed and likes to attack. We need that also, especially against teams who close a lot. We need that kind of creativity.”
Source: Sky Sports News
