Miralem Pjanic has established himself as one of the best midfielders in Europe (Getty Images)
As per Calciomercato (h/t Daily Record), Chelsea have entered the race to sign Juventus star Miralem Pjanic, who is likely to be sold by the Italian giants in the summer.
Pjanic, 29, came through the youth ranks of FC Metz in France and moved to Lyon in 2008. After 121 games and 16 goals for Lyon, he was signed by AS Roma, where he took his game to the next level and helped the club qualify for the Champions League twice in a row.
His impressive performance earned him a move to Juventus in the summer of 2016. Currently in his fourth season at Turin, the Bosnian has racked up 22 goals and 36 assists in 167 games for the Old Lady. He has established himself as one of the best midfielders in Europe and has led Juventus to three Serie A titles and the finals of the Champions League in the 2016/17 season.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have not had their best season so far despite making progress earlier in the campaign. The Blues are currently 4th in the league table and could have done better, where they let slip of crucial points.
Frank Lampard has fared decently in his first term as Chelsea boss but should be able to do better next season. And this can happen only if he brings experienced campaigners into his squad. Most of the current players in the team are young but have done a decent job.
One area where the manager has to concentrate on strengthening is the midfield. Lampard had to make do with injuries to several key players but that didn’t work when they faced Bayern Munich in the Champions League earlier this month.
In midfield, Jorginho has not been consistent, whereas star player N’Golo Kante has missed the majority of the season due to injuries. Mateo Kovacic has been the only breath of fresh air in the middle of the park and their options were limited when Ruben Loftus-Cheek got injured earlier in the campaign. Therefore, they need to add depth to the squad with experienced players.
In that case, Juventus star Miralem Pjanic would be a viable option. He has been orchestrating Juventus’ games for the past four years and has done a perfect job for the club.
The Bosnian has an experience of over 500 games which spans across four different clubs and has played at a higher level for a long time. His inclusion would be a major boost for Chelsea and he can be their leader on the pitch.
Pjanic’s intelligence and technique have been brilliant and he can operate from both the deep-lying role and in an advanced role. He would be able to strike a strong partnership with Kovacic in the Blues’ midfield, given he is able to replicate the good form.
Though he is 29, he still has some energy left to play at a higher level and given Chelsea’s lack of experienced players, Pjanic would be a shrewd piece of business for the Blues. He would definitely add quality and depth to the squad.
Therefore, Lampard should do everything possible to lure the Bosnian international to Stamford Bridge in the summer.
