Chelsea transfer rumours: Mourinho signing could be a surprisingly smart move

Posted Wednesday, May 28, 2014 by Talksport.co.uk

Though the floodgates haven't quite opened on Atletico Madrid's list of exits just yet, the names are beginning to seep through, and unsurprisingly, Chelsea look to be one of the beneficiaries. What is surprising however is that the player today rumoured to be heading to London from the Vicente Calderon is not Diego Costa, but Tiago Mendes, who spent a season in England back in 2004. Though bringing a 33-year-old back to Stamford Bridge on a free transfer may not be the most glamorous of signings, it could be a smart one, as the tidy midfielder's time with Atletico has shown…

In his previous incarnation in a blue shirt Tiago was perhaps best remembered for his attacking tendencies, and in particular, an incredible strike from distance against Manchester United in May 2005. As his years have advanced the Portuguese has moved slightly deeper in the pitch however, and under Diego Simeone he has excelled as a tough but classy holding midfielder. One of the leaders at the Vicente Calderon, while Tiago has often been rotated with Mario Suarez, he has tended to start the bigger games, thanks in part due to his invaluable experience, and in part to his more proactive, accurate passing of the ball. His ability to win the ball back then move it on quickly has often helped Atletico to launch a lethal counterattack, their preferred method of scoring goals.

Chelsea's deficiencies in the same area of the pitch have been costly at times over the last year or so. Jose Mourinho signed Nemanja Matic in January with the express purpose of resolving that, and while the former Benfica man was a quality addition, his absence in the Champions League was notable. The Blues lack a player capable of filling in or rotating with the Serb while maintaining the same high standards, and for that reason, bringing in Tiago on a free deal makes some sense.

The Atletico Madrid man's numbers over the course of last season in comparison with one of Matic's current understudies, Jon Obi Mikel, tell their own story. Across the league and Champions League, Tiago made an average of 2.9 interceptions per game for Atletico (87 in total), while Mikel managed an average of only one per game for Chelsea (30 in total). Tactically, the Portuguese player is much sharper than the Chelsea man, proving more adept at putting out fires by intercepting opposition passes, while his number of duels won (202) stands at more than double of those won by Mikel (86). Tiago isn't scared to put the boot in, either. His average of 3.4 tackles per game for Atletico is more than three times that of Mikel's for Chelsea (1.1).

Tiago isn't likely to dramatically change the course of Chelsea's fortunes next season, and signing him may not be as exciting a prospect for supporters as bringing in another attacking midfielder on top of the countless already wearing a Blue shirt, but with the club in need of more quality in his area of the pitch – coupled with the loss of David Luiz and potentially Frank Lampard – snapping him up demonstrates some intelligence in the market that has been lacking at Stamford Bridge in recent years. No one at the Vicente Calderon – least of all Diego Simeone – will be keen to see him leave, and that's no small praise considering the Colchoneros are league Champions and Champions League runners-up. Atletico Madrid's loss will be Chelsea's gain.

Blues, would you be happy to see Tiago back at Stamford Bridge? Let us know below...