3 Reasons Why Leonardo Bonucci Would Be An Ideal Signing For Chelsea
Antonio Conte’s men are stranded at 3rd place in the points table and are finding consistency hard to come by during this busy fixture period. The manager is evidently unhappy with the options at his disposal and is expected to be a busy man, come the January transfer window, which will open in less than a week.
The Italian is desperate for a new defender, having had a fallout with Brazilian ace David Luiz, who is no longer an option in the first-team. So it does not come as a surprise that Chelsea are linked with some of the finest stars in Europe and one name doing the rounds is Italian veteran Leonardo Bonucci.
According to several reports, Chelsea are the front-runners to land the 30-year old in January and could also offload David Luiz as a part of the deal to land Bonucci next month. Is Bonucci the right man for Chelsea? Here are three reasons why he would be a sensational signing for the Blues.
Experience
The Italian international is one of the most experienced defenders in Europe at the moment. He has 282 Serie A appearances and 48 Champions League appearances to date to add to 75 international appearances for Italy, all at just 30. He is easily a veteran of the game and to have maintained the level of consistency that he has, it makes him one of the best defenders of the game. Surely, he will add a lot of stability and experience to the Chelsea backline if he moves to London.
Conte’s Ex-colleague
If the 282 Italian top-flight appearances were not enough to showcase his ability, Bonucci has played a number of those games under the managership of Antonio Conte. The Chelsea manager used Bonucci as his first choice during his time in Turin as well as for the Italian national side and working with him again can change the whole picture of the Chelsea backline in January. Bonucci is right up there with the best in the business and will be a sensational addition to the Blues.
Availability And Price
Most importantly, half-way through the season, Chelsea are not expected to find too many stars, who can walk into the first-team in January. Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk, who will cost £70m+ in the winter transfer window, is the best option for Conte but Bonucci is more experienced and would be a better fit for Chelsea. He would cost considerably less, considering his age. More experienced, better fit and cheaper with a few more years of top-level football left in him, Bonucci surely is the best option for Chelsea at the moment.