Money talks at Chelsea. In more ways than one.
Since Roman Abramovich’s arrival as owner, Chelsea have dictated the transfer market, paying big fees for big-name players.
That strategy remains a key part of their pursuit to be Europe’s No. 1 club side, but these days they’re equally willing to have their heads turned if the price is right for one of their own players.
It was the case with Juan Mata last year and, more recently, Andre Schurrle.
Both had fallen out of favour under Jose Mourinho, so sniffing an opportunity to capitalise, Manchester United and Wolfsburg made their moves.
They were rare win-win situations in football; Chelsea received significant funds to invest in areas their squad needed it; in the process, the buying clubs picked up two vastly talented players who were deemed surplus.
Which brings us to Oscar.
How long will Mourinho persevere with the Brazilian?
Like Mata and Schurrle before him, we know the capabilities Oscar has within his repertoire. That's not up for debate, but his position at Chelsea certainly is.
The beginning stages of Mourinho's second spell at Stamford Bridge saw the Chelsea boss talking up the Brazilian, hinting he would be building his team around him.
Oscar is the player who convinced Mourinho that Mata wasn't needed. He brings something different to Chelsea, notably allowing Mourinho's side to press the opposition higher up the park and intercept possession in danger areas.
He comes with natural flair, too, and is involved in much of the neat build-up play we have seen from Chelsea this term.
That's for the first six months of the season, though. Quite where he disappears to after Christmas is anyone's guess, but wherever Oscar is, it isn't Stamford Bridge.
It's the recurring theme of his Chelsea career.
And just like Schurrle ran out of credit with Mourinho, Oscar must surely be heading the same way.
When we talk of teams that win trophies consistently and dominate, they come complete with talented stars who turn up at the biggest moments. Oscar doesn't.
Were he a football club, Oscar would be Arsenal. He flatters to deceive.
The Brazilian teases us with his brilliance early in the campaign; he dangles the carrot that tempts us to layer him with superlatives. Expectation levels increase, he almost reaches a crescendo, and just as we expect him finally to deliver, away he goes.
Oscar cannot be found.
It's symptomatic of an Arsene Wenger side in the modern era. And just like the Gunners' failure to go the distance damages them, Oscar's inability to be an effective part of Mourinho's Chelsea can't be indulged.
Given how disappointing he can be, it hasn't turned Oscar's admirers away.
There have been links with Paris Saint-Germain in the past and now Juventus are rumoured to be circling the carcass of his Chelsea career according to the Daily Mail .
That may be sad news for some Chelsea fans who have grown fond of Oscar, but in these days of operating in profit, it's positive for the Chelsea accountants.
Like Mata and Schurrle before him, Oscar comes with a significant sell-on value that will allow Chelsea to make a tidy sum on that £20 million they paid Internacional for him in 2012.
Chelsea's business model works as such that every player comes with a price. When they frustrate and disappoint like Oscar consistently has in three years in west London, that price becomes ever more appealing.
Mourinho may well see it as a failure on his part that Oscar hasn't been as influential at Chelsea as he would have hoped. After all, he was the player he romanced most when he first took over.
He can't look at this from a personal perspective, however. it's about so much more than the manager's damaged ego. It's about Chelsea.
The team has evolved considerably in Mourinho's two years back, and with the money they can raise from his transfer, it's high time Chelsea cashed in on Oscar while they have the chance.
They need to continue the rebuilding project in earnest and players who drift in and out of the season like Oscar can't be part of it.
Oscar's good, but he's not that good.
Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes
from Bleacher Report http://ift.tt/1CIPvFG
via IFTTT March 31, 2015 at 11:41AM
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