According to Daily Mail, Spanish side Valencia have given up hope of signing Fernando Torres on loan, and have instead turned their attention to Chelsea’s remaining two strikers Demba Ba and Romelu Lukaku.
Jose Mourinho has been looking to strengthen his side with proven quality, but will be pleased with the pre-season campaign which saw the squad lose just one game against Real Madrid. The Blues will be looking to start the Barclays Premier League campaign with a bang and put pressure on their title rivals.
Manchester City have been one of the most active sides to have strengthened their squad, bringing in as many as four high profile names to their name. Fernandinho, a highly rated midfielder was the first addition in June for a reported fee of £30 million from Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk. The Brazilian was soon joined by two players from Sevilla; Spain international Jesus Navas for fee of £14.9 million, and striker Alvaro Negredo for a fee of £20 million. The last signing was that of Fiorentina sensation Stevan Jovetic, a striker who had been a target for many European heavyweights.
These signings mean Chelsea will face strong competition from City for the title, and will need to strengthen their strike force equally. Wayne Rooney has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, with reports suggesting the striker has made the choice to switch to the Blues and decline an offer from Arsenal despite his admiration of Arsene Wenger. Rooney coming in would mean bad news for Ba and Lukaku, both of whom have yet to prove their mettle in the squad.
Ba was signed from Newcastle United in the January window this year, but has not had the desired impact on proceedings in the league. The Senegalese has been given ample opportunities to strike, and has played the full pre-season program. It is fair to say Lukaku will be expected to stay at the club and have a big impact just like his loan spell at West Bromwich Albion. The Belgian’s goal tally last season has made the supporters look to him to be the new Didier Drogba.