The Inter midfielder has been linked with the Blues for several months
now but it emerged on Dec. 18 that Guarin was in fact edging close to a
£15 million move to the English giants.Speaking so openly about a deal
that's still in infancy when compared to other cases of speculation is
rare, but is significant in the sense that both parties are at least
very genuine in their interest of striking a deal.
Despite the fact that Chelsea are currently second in the Premier League
table and preparing to take on Galatasaray in the knockout stage of the
Champions League, there is room for improvement at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues are coming to terms with the fact that Jose Mourinho's return
to West London may not go as smoothly as his previous Chelsea reign.
This was exposed most recently in the club's 2-1 extra-time loss to
Sunderland in the Capital One Cup, showing that there is most certainly
still room for improvement in the squad.
Guarin has been among Inter's more impressive performers this term as
the Italian giants have launched their latest attempt to return to Serie
A's top spots.
The Blues have been far from shy in conducting transfer business in the
last decade or so, regardless of the time of year, and it's a promising
sign for the club that new blood may already be on the horizon.
Guarin's impact could be two-fold considering the box-to-box midfielder
would be available for Champions League competition, making him a useful
midseason purchase.
However, while adding some depth to the first team, one might argue that
the 27-year-old isn't exactly the world-class signature that Chelsea
should be looking to sign—or, at least, he isn't at that level just yet,
lacking in consistency more than anything.
In any case, more than the signing itself, supporters of the club can
feel encouraged that the Blues are delving into their pockets early with
a view to improving their options. It's an important phase of the
2013/14 blueprint if Mourinho is to continue challenging for silverware.
