Chelsea boss Antonio Conte still hunting £15million Swansea striker Fernando Llorente… here are the reasons why
Football Whispers run down the reasons the Blues' Italian chief is keen on the veteran forward, including his aerial prowess
CHAMPIONS Chelsea are set to be one of the Premier League’s busier sides in the final hours of the summer transfer window.
Manager Antonio Conte appears to be not entirely happy with the business the Blues have done to date and will require further additions in order to mount a challenge for honours.
Not only at home, but also in the Champions League, of course.
Among the Italian’s top targets is Swansea striker Fernando Llorente.
The Spaniard has been on Chelsea’s radar for some time and could reportedly move to Stamford Bridge in a £15million deal.
Our friends at Football Whispers have highlighted three reasons why Conte is so keen to sign the Spanish target man this summer.
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Conte and Llorente worked together at Juventus
IF Llorente is to move to Stamford Bridge before Thursday’s transfer deadline, it won’t be the first time he has linked up with Conte.
The Italian tactician signed the towering Spanish forward from Athletic Bilbao in 2013, picking up the 24-cap La Roja man on a free transfer with his contract at San Mames having expired.
This means that Conte will be well aware of what he will be getting from Llorente and where the player’s strengths and weaknesses lie.
He will be able to formulate a plan for how he intends to use the striker much more quickly than had they been new to each other.
Llorente produced a respectable return of 18 goals in his first season at Juventus and nine in the second as he fell behind potential future team-mate Alvaro Morata in the pecking order in Turin.
Llorente is experienced
AT 32-years-old, Llorente has played more than 500 games at the highest level in Spain, Italy and England, and is closing in on 200 total career goals.
He has also won nine major trophies in his career, including three Serie A titles with Juventus, a Europa League with Sevilla and a World Cup and European Championship double with Spain.
Coveted as a back-up to record signing Morata, Llorente’s experience in big games and high-profile competitions will be invaluable to Chelsea.
He offers something different
AS deputy to Morata in the centre-forward role in Conte’s 3-4-3, Llorente offers the option of a different, more direct approach.
The 6ft 4ins Swansea man is dominant in the air and adept and holding the ball up and linking play.
Whereas Michy Batshuayi is a penalty-box poacher and Morata is a well-rounded striker, Llorente is a specialist target man.
This means Chelsea will have the option of playing up to him and surrounding him with willing runners.
His aerial prowess will make the Blues more of a threat from crosses and set pieces.
Of all the Premier League strikers with 20 or more appearances last season, only Christian Benteke and Sam Vokes could top Llorente’s average of 5.6 successful aerial duels per 90 minutes.
He will be relatively cheap
IN the current market, £15m for a striker of proven top-level quality represents an absolute bargain.
The relatively low fee is owing to the fact that, at 32, Llorente is beyond what is generally considered to be the peak age for an attacking player.
But the Pamplona-born star has never been reliant on pace or trickery.
His usefulness lies in his strength, intelligence and aerial threat, attributes that are the last to diminish with age.
Llorente is Premier League ready
IMPORTANTLY, Llorente already has a full season of Premier League experience under his belt, turning out 33 times for the Swans last term.
And he has shown, with 15 goals in that time, that he is more than capable of producing the goods in the English top flight.
Signing a striker from the continent or further afield would have meant that Conte would have to account for an adjustment period as the new player settles into his surroundings.
That’s not the case with Llorente: he can hit the ground running at Chelsea.