Reigniting interest in Shakhtar’s Taison can solve Chelsea’s No.10 woes
According to an earlier report from the Express, Chelsea were interested to sign Brazilian attacker Taison from Shakhtar Donetsk and the player had agreed on terms with the Blues but a move failed to materialise due to work permit issues.
The same report claimed that the 30-year-old wanted to take his career to the next level by completing a move to the Premier League in the future.
The Brazilian joined Shakhtar back in 2013 and has been one of their most distinguished players, helping the club establish domestic dominance in the Ukrainian Premier League over rivals Dynamo Kyiv.
Taison has amassed 40 goals and 60 assists from 220 appearances for the Ukrainian giants across all competitions over the course of five seasons. He has a good record in the UEFA Champions League as well, registering 4 goals and 7 assists from 33 appearances in the competition. His wonderful performances at both domestic and continental fronts earned him a call-up to Brazil’s World Cup squad in Russia.
Standing at 5ft. 8 inches, Taison is a quick, agile, fleet-footed and technically-gifted creative midfielder who is capable of playing in multiple positions in the final third. Primarily a left-winger by trade, Taison has been deployed as a playmaker in a No.10 role behind the striker and also on either flank.
The 30-year-old is not the strongest of players on the pitch but uses his upper body strength to ride his way past challenges and has a good presence of mind to release the right pass at the right moment. He is a player blessed with incredible vision who likes to create his own space in the midfield, leaving the defenders bamboozled with sharp turns and clever changes of direction.
Renowned for his tactical awareness, Taison is a multifaceted player who likes to draw the defenders out from their positions and plays his teammates in behind the backline with inch-perfect passes. Furthermore, he is a set-piece specialist who is equally good with his crossing from the flanks.
To put things into perspective, Chelsea should definitely make a move for him in January. Chelsea enjoyed an unbeaten run of 12 games in the Premier League under Maurizio Sarri but their juggernaut was halted by a humiliating 3-1 defeat at the hands of Spurs.
As much as Chelsea have prospered under ‘Sarri Ball’, the Blues have lacked that much-needed creativity in the final third. Jorginho has dictated the game well from a deep position in the midfield with his flawless passing and distribution but N’Golo Kante has been rendered virtually ineffective playing on the right of a midfield three.
Sarri has fielded Kante and Jorginho in all the Premier League games so far this season, leaving Ross Barkley and Mateo Kovacic to fight it out for a solitary spot in the midfield. Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Cesc Fabregas have barely got a look in from the manager in the Premier League this season.
Lack of creativity in the midfield can be a massive roadblock for Chelsea later in the campaign, particularly, if they want to post a serious challenge for the title.
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Taison definitely fits the bill for a creative midfielder who can also play as a part of the forward line and having him in the squad would reduce the dependency on Eden Hazard to some extent.
That said, Chelsea should reignite their interest in the creative Brazilian ace and table a bid to land him in January.
