The never ending defensive problems for Chelsea this season have pushed Jose Mourinho to take serious looks into the transfer market, looking for a centre back to help his cause. Andrea Ranocchia has already been mentioned, but recently another name, that of Mateo Musacchio who plays for Villarreal, seems like a more reasonable signing.
Unlike Ranocchia, Musacchio hasn’t been pushed out of the lineup by his head coach. The 23 year old Argentine has been with the Yellow Submarine since 2009, and has been playing very well this season, helping Villarreal keep a clean sheet six times so far. Not exactly record breaking stuff, but for a team back from the Segunda Division, there’s nothing really to complain about.
According to El Mundo Deportivo, Chelsea aren’t the only team trying to sign the player, as Manchester City with Manuel Pellegrini have also been keeping an eye on him. AC Milan have also been mentioned in the past as a possible destination.
Musacchio has scored one goal this season, and has been mentioned more and more as a name that will possibly be part of the Argentina team that goes to Brazil to play in the World Cup. Playing for a bigger club than Villarreal might help his cause, but only if it doesn’t hurt his playing time.
There are plenty of centre backs at Chelsea, but Mourinho has his issues. Gary Cahill has his ups and downs, while John Terry might be a great leader, but he hasn’t been a world class defender for the past three years. David Luiz is playing terribly this year when he’s actually healthy, and Branislav Ivanovic is the team’s right back. Musacchio, who can also play as a defensive midfielder if necessary, could be of great assistance to the club.
He’s been with Villarreal since 2009, initially playing with the B team after arriving from River Plate. He’s been more or less a first team player since getting promoted to the senior side, but it’s taken him some time to become consistent and trustworthy. What might be an issue for him in the Premier League is his height (1.82 meters), but he’s very intelligent and mobile, which might help him make up for physical shortcomings.