Mou to raid Chelsea and Spurs: How Roma are likely to fare in hunt for trio
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 6 Nov 2021 07:29 CDT
- 4 min read
Roma boss Jose Mourinho has already plundered Tammy Abraham from Chelsea since moving to the Italian capital in the summer – and more of his former Premier League protégées are now tipped to follow.
Abraham started explosively in Serie A and looked like being a masterstroke signing, but the ex-Blues star has since hit the buffers, netting only once in his last nine league appearances.
Similarly, Mourinho’s strong beginning in Italy has come off the rails somewhat.
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This was most evident in a Europa Conference League encounter away to Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt, in which Roma were hammered 6-1. After that chastening loss, Mourinho stepped forward to criticise his fringe players, saying very publicly that they were not good enough.
It is little surprise, then, that he is tipped to dip into the transfer market to strengthen Roma’s ranks.
Chelsea and Spurs stars wanted
Mourinho is set to look to Chelsea and Tottenham to provide him additional depth to his side, according to a report in The Daily Mail, which indicates that he has three players in mind: Roben Loftus-Cheek, Antonio Rudiger and Harry Winks.
Rudiger is clearly the most ambitious of these targets given that the Germany international is a wanted man. Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are among the clubs linked with the centre-back, and faced with such competition, there is little hope of Roma being able to sign him.
It is also worth pointing out that he has never previously worked under Mourinho, having joined Chelsea after he left.
The Blues will not sell in January, and even if Rudiger, who spent 2016-2018 with Roma, does not agree new terms, the prospect of moving to a Champions League club will surely be too great to turn down as a free agent when his contract expires in the summer.
A move to Italy would surely be regarded as a step backwards just as he is hitting the peak of his career.
Loftus-Cheek and Winks, though, are more reasonable aims.
The 25-year-old Loftus-Cheek has threatened to make the grade at Chelsea for years but has never quite been able to establish himself significantly. At this point, though, he is perhaps closer than ever to realising his goal, having gained regular minutes under Thomas Tuchel.
But he has a solid relationship with Mourinho. The Portuguese gave him his senior debut at Chelsea and went out of his way to ensure he got a Premier League winner’s medal in 2015, despite playing only three matches.
Similarly, Harry Winks, also 25, is a player long tipped for big things at Spurs, only for that never to quite materialise. Of the seven appearances the midfielder has made this season, five have come in the Conference League, while he did not even make the matchday squad against West Ham and Manchester United.
Antonio Conte’s arrival at Tottenham, of course, could change the trajectory of Winks’ career rapidly, but it is not something to count upon.
Winks is clearly the most attainable of this trio, with Loftus-Cheek worth monitoring given his status at Chelsea. Rudiger, though, will be beyond the grasp of Mourinho and Roma.
