A Hazardous winger

In his second season at Chelsea, Eden Hazard is showing why he was hailed by Europe as a wonder kid, winning the 2014 PFA Young Player of the Year award. Beating some of the best talents in the Premier League such as Daniel Sturridge and Luke Shaw who finished second and third respectively, Hazard is justifying the large price tag that Chelsea forked out for him. At the tender age of 23, there is still much more to come from the Belgian international.  

Eden Hazard has quickly established himself as a key player at Stamford Bridge and is one of the first names on Jose Mourinho's team sheet. Hazard's electric acceleration, flair filled dribbling and creativity has earned him the name as one of the most deadliest attackers in Europe, let alone England. It is these qualities that have aided him in scoring 14 goals and assisting 7. 

Since Mourinho's arrival however, Eden Hazard's all round game has come on leaps and bounds thanks to the "Special One." In his debut season, many could see the talent that Hazard had, but defensively he was poor and his work rate at times was questionable, often leaving the left back behind him isolated as the opposition launched a counter attack. Under Mourinho, a manager who demands all his players contribute defensively has pushed Hazard to better himself as a player and add defensive qualities to his game as well turning him into one of the hardest workers in the squad.   

Eden Hazard has been award the PFA
Young Player of the Year award 2014

With the World Cup fast approaching, Eden Hazard will be showcasing his abilities on the biggest stage in world football with Belgium. Part of a team that features the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Vincent Kompany and Thibaut Courtios, they could well be the dark horses of the tournament and go quite far. With Hazard ever impressive both nationally and domestically, he has attracted quite a few admirers in the form of PSG and Real Madrid who have been reported as weighing up huge offers to bring in Hazard.  

With the media often suggesting Eden Hazard has the potential to emulate the sort of feats that Lionel Messi and Cristano Ronaldo are currently doing, there are a number of reasons why these comparisons are not totally ungrounded. With Mourinho's guidance, Hazard could well develop into one of the best players on the planet and Mourinho himself has set this goal for Hazard. Mourinho has previously said: "I want to give him that responsibility and ambition for the kid to be better and better and to express himself on the pitch match after match. Don't be up and down but to always be at the top of his game because he has the conditions to be a top player."  

Eden Hazard has been in fine form this year and
is certain to figure for Belgium at the World Cup this year

Hazard's admirers don't just end at Mourinho. At Lille, Eden Hazard received probably one of the greatest compliments from one of the true greats of the game. A certain Zinedine Zidane once said: "I would take him to Real Madrid with my eyes closed." Mourinho placed most of his creative faith in Oscar and Hazard at the start of the season and following the sales of Juan Mata and Kevin De Bruyne the faith in the duo grew greater. Arguably Oscar's form has dipped of late with suggestions that the Brazilian is suffering from fatigue having lacked a real summer break, which has meant the burden has been placed mostly on Eden Hazard and he has duly delivered even with such a responsibility.  

Eden Hazard is constantly improving and adapting his game to better himself under Mourinho. If this growth continues, Chelsea could well see him fledge into one of the best players in the world. The PFA Young Player of the Year award will be a great compliment to the Belgian but leaves many asking, how long will it be before Hazard is vying for even greater individual awards such as the Ballon d'Or? 

 

What now for Manchester United?

Appointed on the 9th of May and gone on the 22nd of April; David Moyes failed reign at Manchester United came to abrupt end. The announcement came to a shock as many, as Manchester pride themselves on being a club that gives managers time but now mathematically impossible to play in the Champions League, many questioned if Moyes was the "chosen one." With club veteran Ryan Giggs appointed to lead the club into the end of the campaign, what does Manchester United need to do to guarantee the same does not happen next year?

Arguably one of Moyes' biggest failures during his short lived spell at the Red Devils was his activity in the transfer window, most notably the summer window. The club was in desperate need of strengthening in midfield and defence to replace the older players and to compete with the quality that their title rivals were bringing in but Moyes opted to bring in just Marouane Fellaini, a player that does not possess the quality or was what the fans wanted. The January window saw Moyes spend big and bring in Juan Mata from title challengers Chelsea and although is a top class player, was not the type of player they needed and some argue paid too much for a player that could not get into the Chelsea starting eleven with a £37m fee.  

Moyes opted to bring in the Belgian having previously
worked with him at Everton

With Manchester United failing to deliver in the transfer window last year, next year expect them to come back stronger and spend big in the summer to rejuvenate the squad. Of course a new manager will be hired first and they will bring players in that suit his vision but one thing that the club really need to do is bring in quality where it is needed. If the club make knee-jerk summer signings in positions which don't need strengthening for well over their market value then they could repeat this years fortunes. Signings like Adam Lallana from Southampton would be the wrong sort of player to bring in as they will be paying too much for a player in a position they don't need to strengthen. Players like Toni Kroos or Kevin Strootman in the centre of midfield, a position that needs fresh faces and class, as well as some defence signings would reinvigorate this below par Manchester United squad.

Secondly, the Manchester United hierarchy need to carefully decide who should be brought in to replace David Moyes. A lesson they have learnt from their previous appointment is that it needs to be someone who has delivered silverware before and is used to the pressure of managing a top club. Perhaps another credential that could see Manchester United restored to their previous competitive state is employing someone to lead that knows the club inside out and understand the values of Manchester United, a credential that made Sir Alex Ferguson so great. Ryan Giggs is simply a stop gap to see out the remaining games of the season and is very unlikely to be made permanent boss even if he impresses due to such inexperience at management level.

Louis Van Gaal seems to be the favourite to take the reins at Old Trafford at the moment despite interest in the manager coming also from Tottenham. The fans choice is Jurgen Klopp but a move to England and leaving his beloved Borussia Dortmund is something Klopp has already said he will not do and has ruled himself out of the job. Van Gaal could be a success at the club as he has proven he can do jobs at the very top clubs, having won trophies at Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the past but many will point to his handling of egos to be a major flaw in his management having had high profile spats with Rivaldo and Johan Cruyff. Van Gaal's attacking approach could be what Manchester United are looking for having looked at times uncreative and not direct enough during Moyes' reign.  

It all went so wrong for Moyes at Manchester United.

Finally, who ever is employed as manager at Manchester United and what ever tactics they decide to employ, it cannot be in any way shape or form similar to what Moyes tried to create at the club. David Moyes tried to replicate the tactics he used at Everton to bring success to the Manchester giants and it did not suit the players he had at his disposal and isn't the type of football that makes top clubs in today's games successful. Moyes seemed to sacrifice creativity from individuals in his squad in favour of pumping the ball out wide and getting crosses in to the box despite not having a player that can really compete with centre backs to win the header. Manchester United became a slow side that lacked venom under Moyes, a far cry from the Manchester United that used to be so potent and creative under Ferguson.

Some argue David Moyes should have been given more time. More time to get used to the demands of the job, more time to bring in certain players and more time to challenge for silverware. Others will argue although it goes against Manchester United's policy of giving managers a fair chance, David Moyes' debut season is more than enough evidence that he was not the right man to the lead the club for years to come. Whatever your stance on the sacking is, one thing is for sure, Manchester United need to change things to make sure this season never happens again. Not qualifying for Champions League football and failing to compete with the bigger teams for silverware is simply unacceptable for England's most successful team. Taken down is the "chosen one" banner from the Stratford End of Old Trafford and due to his failures remembered by some as the "ill chosen one."

The manager merry-go-round

With the manager merry-go-round forever spinning in Europe, which managers could be on on the move this summer? It seems everyday there are  rumours circulating that a club is looking for a change in management and there are a few names that are consistently mentioned in the gossip columns of Europe.

Jurgen Klopp of Borussia Dortmund

A fan favourite at Borussia Dortmund and has a self confessed love for the club, Jurgen Klopp is a wanted man by some of Europe's giants. Having guided Dortmund to several pieces of silverware including a Bundesliga title, Klopp has a more than impressive CV at the club. Famed for his man management, spot on tactical calls and his eccentric personality, Klopp is almost always linked to a top job when it becomes available. Manchester United is a club that has taken several looks at Klopp and is the fan's favourite to take over at Old Trafford as his style of football at Dortmund has won several admirers throughout Europe. Other clubs who are linked to Klopp include Barcelona, who could replace Gerard Martino with the German after a disappointing debut season with the Catalan giants.

However, prising Jurgen Klopp from his beloved Borussia Dortmund could prove to be an impossible task, as neither Dortmund or Klopp want to part company. When questioned on his future, Klopp said: "No one needs to worry. We are all still a bit in love with this club and with the way things are handled here." Although Dortmund have also made several statements saying Klopp is going nowhere, the loss of star Lewandowski and Bayern's domination of Germany could push Klopp to the exit door and there will be management offers elsewhere in the summer for Klopp.   

Diego Simone of Atletico Madrid

One of the most underrated managers in Europe, Diego Simone has worked wonders at Atletico Madrid in his three years in charge. Managing his former club, Simone has transformed Atletico Madrid from a club forever in the shade of Real Madrid, to a club that can now compete with their local rivals for trophies. Simone's Atletico side are having a wonderful season and Simone could add the Champions League and La Liga title to his trophy cabinet this year. A tireless motivator who drills his tactics into his side has been linked to replace David Moyes at Manchester United andTim Sherwood at Tottenham Hotspur. 

But possibly the most likely club Simone will take the reins of is Inter Milan. A club he has already played for and with owner Eric Thoir considering replacing current manager Walter Mazzari, Diego Simone could head to the San Siro. Simone has said: "Sooner or later, one day, I will be the coach of Inter. I left many positive memories as a player at Sevilla, Lazio and Inter." However, Diego Simone may not want to leave the project he has created at Atletico Madrid having finally turned them into a competitive side in La Liga. Going from Atletico Madrid to a underachieving Inter Milan could be considered a step down, Diego Simone may decide to leave Atletico on a high if he secures silverware this year.  

Louis Van Gaal of the Netherlands national team

Fast approaching the end of his reign as the boss of Holland, Van Gaal has not hidden his interest at managing in one of the most competitive leagues in Europe, the Premier League. Having been successful and delivered silverware at some of the top clubs in the world such as Barcelona and Bayern Munich in what is a well travelled managerial past, Van Gaal has been heavily linked with the summer availability of the Tottenham hot seat despite being reportedly added to Manchester United's short list of managers to replace Moyes.

His "my way or the highway" approach has caused problems at previous clubs but also has been a key drive in his successes. Van Gaal to take over at Tottenham has already been completed according to Ruud Guillt who told BBC Radio 5 live: "I know for sure he was at Van Gaal's house, the chairman. I think it's a done deal, but you never know." With Hiddink already taking over as Netherlands chief after the World Cup, Van Gaal will certainly looking for a new club in the summer and it isn't a matter of if Van Gaal will take a new job, but where.   

Former Swansea City manager Michael Laudrup 

Currently out of a job following his sacking at Swansea City, Michael Laudrup is in a search for a new club. Having taken Swansea to Carling Cup glory in his first season in charge, the Dane won several admirers from major clubs and at one point was reportedly chased by Real Madrid before they appointed Carlo Ancelotti. Clubs such as West Ham and QPR have been mentioned during his time out from management, but links with Barcelona have been the most surprising and at the moment, could be on the cards. Laudrup's footballing philosophies would suit the Tika Taka style Barcelona were once so successful with and Martino's reign at Barcelona looking likely to end, Laudrup could be on the short list to take over at the Nou Camp.   

Michael Laudrup remains coy on what the future holds for him and has spoken out about the links with him and his former club but did admit it is something he would be interested in. The former Real Madrid and Barcelona player said: "Everybody would like to train a large club and obviously Barcelona is one of them." Where ever Laudrup does go, one thing is for sure he won't be out of work for long with a number of clubs  
looking for summer changes.  

In today's footballing world, the occupation of being a manager can be be very short winded. With managers under increasingly harsh pressure, clubs are becoming far to comfortable pulling the trigger with coaches when things aren't going as they expect despite giving them hardly any time to change things around. Many fans will argue that managers are not given enough time and because of this the manager merry-go-round continues to spin.

The nearly man: Andrea Pirlo's Chelsea transfer

With Andrea Pirlo's autobiography - "I think therefore I play" causing quite the stir in the footballing world, one of the major revelations Pirlo has shared is his transfer to Chelsea that at one point came so close in 2009. Still producing top draw performances for Juventus, one does imagine what life would have been like with the classy pin point passer.

In his autobiography, Pirlo reveals how close he came to a move to London and how it was previous club AC Milan's transfer demands that ruined his chance of a move to the Blues. He revealed: "Milan wanted too much cash, and they were also pushing for Branislav Ivanovic to be included in the deal. Chelsea hadn't the slightest intention of letting the defender go." 

At the time newly installed manager from AC Milan Carlo Ancelotti was the Italian's main motivation for the move to Chelsea. "Ancelotti and I spoke a fair bit on the phone. He wanted to bring me to London at all costs, and cost was indeed the last hurdle still to be overcome. Insurmountable, as it transpired. Carlo Ancelotti was my motivation for agreeing to head to London." 

Pirlo has played for Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus
in what is a more than impressive career.

Pirlo's failed move to Chelsea will come as a major surprise to the faithful, as he is a huge player in European football but there were no rumblings at the time of a possible move. It was in that same season Pirlo left for Juventus and arguably enjoyed one of his finest seasons in his impressive career. But, many will be thankful that deal maybe did not go through, as if Chelsea had given into Milan's demands, Branislav Ivanovic will have been sacrificed, a fan favourite and a player worth his weight in gold as one of the best defenders in the league. 

However, many Chelsea fans would have been drooling at the thought of Ancelotti's favoured 4-3-3 formation with Frank Lampard, Micheal Ballack and Andrea Pirlo as the three midfielders. Pirlo most likely of the three to sit back and dictate play allowing the other two to push on could have been one of the most star studded midfields to ever grace the Premiership. Although, it may not have worked as all three are fairly similar and many critics argue that even the partnership of Ballack and Lampard that existed was not the greatest of successes it could have been.  

Ancelotti was a major reason for Pirlo's
desire to join Chelsea.

If Pirlo had gone to Chelsea, it is unlikely he would still be there now. The English Premier League is a polar opposite to the Italian Serie A that Andrea Pirlo is accustomed to. Serie A boasts a large number of older players due to the slower nature of the build up play which favours the less mobile midifielders. There are not many ancient midfielders let alone players in the Premier League due to its quick tempo and physical nature, which does not really suit Pirlo's style of play. 

In conclusion, Andrea Pirlo's revelation has merely provoked ifs and buts for Chelsea fans  although could have been a major signing. It would have been very interesting for fans of the midfielder to see how he faired in a different league. Thankfully, Chelsea were a success in 2009 season in Ancelotti's debut year and it seems that all considered, Chelsea have faired well enough without the Italian's presence. With Chelsea's successes in Europe and domestically, it seems Pirlo would have a larger trophy cabinet than he currently has with Juventus.

The boy Buffon

One of the greatest keepers to have ever played the game, Gianluigi Buffon is certainly a legend in European football, let alone Italian football. But, is there a keeper out there that could ever reproduce the feats Buffon has?

Introducing Udinese's Italian Simone Scuffet. At just 17 years of age, Scuffet is now one of the first names on Francesco Guidolin's team sheet since his debut at Bologna. At the start of the season, Scuffet was considered fourth choice keeper in Udinese's ranks, however has come on leaps and bounds and is now even tipped to be a part of  the World Cup in Cesare Prandelli's squad, all be it a understudy to Buffon and PSG's Salvatore Sirigu.

Scuffet's fairytale promotion to first team football is quite the story. On the 1st of February, Scuffet made his unexpected debut after first choice keeper Zeljko Brkic suffered an injury in the warm up. Five minutes before kick off and much to the confusion of the Udinese faithful, it was announced that Scuffet was to start ahead of reserve keeper Ivan Kelava and went on to keep a clean sheet and produce a top performance with Udinese winning 2-0.

Scuffet has spoken about how his
idol is Inter Milan's Samir Handanovic

Post match, praises were quick to be heaped upon the young debutant and similarities to a certain Gianluigi Buffon were quickly drawn. Scuffet was confident, commanding and assured in his debut, preventing Bologna from scoring with some impressive saves. The Italian media were quick to state, Buffon produced a clean sheet and a fearless performance like Scuffet when he debuted at the tender age of 17.

Scuffet is dominant in the box, agile in the save and quick to react to the very first hint of danger. Since his debut, Scuffet has continued as Udinese's number one despite Brkic recovering from the injury that initially gifted Scuffet his chance in the side. A series of impressive performances at Chievo, Atlanta and Caligari has meant Brkic has been unable to reclaim his position in the squad.

Scuffet has spoke on comparisons to Buffon. He said:
"It would be wonderful and a dream to follow Buffon's footsteps."

Despite having only featured in a handful of games, clubs are already circling the young shot stopper. Interest has already been confirmed by Udinese's sporting director Cristano Giaretta from AC Milan, but was quick to underline he is not leaving any time soon. Giaretta said: "There was a brief meeting, but nothing concrete. And as for the future, I can say that he will not be on the market for next season."  

Scuffet has also spoke of how his season has gone and what the near future entails. The teenager said: "For now, I am very happy and I'll wait and see what happens next season. If I think that at the start of this year I was Udinese's fourth-choice keeper, then knowing I am now a starter is something of which I can be truly proud."  

Scuffet, accompanied by his youthful looks, has
represented Italy at the U17 level.

Scuffet could well make the plane to the Brazil and has even had backing from Buffon himself, who claimed: "He deserves it." Of course the parallels to Buffon are there, Scuffet knows better than anyone he has a long way to go before he is anywhere near that standard. There is plenty of hype surrounding the teenager and if he can continue to produce the way he has in his first 10 appearances, Scuffet could become one of the hottest properties in Europe. 

Time to Cech out

A position held for a decade, life without Petr Cech between the sticks at Stamford Bridge is hard to imagine. But, Chelsea do have one of the brightest goalkeeping talents in Europe on their books in on loan Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtios and there are several question marks surrounding who will be wearing the number one jersey for Chelsea next year? The reliable old guard of Cech or the exciting potential of Courtios?

There is no denying Petr Cech is still a top goalkeeper and plays in a position which many consider to have longevity as many keepers have demonstrated playing well into the final years of their career. Critics will argue that goalkeepers are like a fine wine, often getting better with age as they become more experienced, examples being Gianlugi Buffon and Brad Friedel.

However, Chelsea cannot lose Thibaut Courtios. Quite simply one of the brightest talents in European football, he has the potential to be a world class keeper, so much so even eclipse the feats Petr Cech has achieved at the club. Tall, assured and agile, it is hard to believe that Courtios is just at the tender age of 21. Rumours of a swap deal with Atletico Madrid for hotshot Diego Costa have been doing the rounds on the gossip columns, but would be very poor business from Chelsea's perspective as they would be letting go of such potential.

Courtios will be competing with Liverpool's
Simon Mignolet for the number one spot at the World Cup

To give people an idea of how highly Thibaut Courtios is regarded in Spain, Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simone gave is verdict. Simone said: "For me, any price for Courtois would be cheap. He is a young guy who has a huge future ahead of him and is on course to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world." In his short three year spell in Spain, Thibaut Courtios has set a club record at Atletico Madrid for keeping a clean sheet for 820 minutes and last year won the Zamora award, an accolade for conceding the fewest goals in Spain. 

Courtios is reportedly unsure of his future at Chelsea, with shifting the legendary Petr Cech from his No.1 spot a task he has thought he is incapable of doing for the past three seasons. But this year could be the year Courtios returns to Chelsea to compete with Cech. It is unlikely Courtios will return to parent club Chelsea this year if he is not given reassurances of playing time. If the thought of replacing Petr Cech is unimaginable, cast your minds back to when Cech first arrived and managed to shift the fan favourite and at the time No.1 Carlo Cudcini, something at the time was also unthinkable. 

Cech has been Chelsea's number one for a decade now.

Courtios has already declared he will make a announcement on his future at Chelsea this week, with many fans waiting in nervous anticipation to see if Mourinho has managed to secure the former Genk goalkeeper. Courtios said: "I will tell you my decision, I will communicate it soon. But for now I am concentrating on the games that we have". 

In all, Petr Cech has had a good season, but performances of late do suggest that replacing him with Courtios could be the correct thing to do. If it means sacrificing Petr Cech to ensure Thibaut Courtios stays at Stamford Bridge, then Mourinho has a selection dilemma on his hands. Personally, it could be time for Petr to "Cech out" if it means securing Courtios. 

If this is the start of the end of Petr Cech's legacy at Chelsea with new young blood coming in as competition and the faithful begin to see less of Cech, he must be remembered for being one of the greatest goalkeepers the club has ever had. He has been part of the successful old guard that has been the backbone of Chelsea's success in recent years. Cech is a legend, but Courtios is the future....

Wenger out?

Three Premier League titles, four FA cups and four Community Shields in a 17 year tenure at Arsenal makes Arsene Wenger a living legend at the Emirates. He has overseen huge changes at Arsenal, made them famous for their entertaining style of football and has single handedly moulded players into some of the greats of the game. However, following an 8 year spell without any form of silverware and a less than impressive season, many Arsenal fans are questioning if the Frenchman is the right man at the helm. With talk of a contract extension, should Arsene Wenger remain manager of Arsenal?

Even the most pro-Wenger fans will agree that 8 years without a trophy for a club like Arsenal is simply unacceptable. True, Wenger does have the chance to rectify the trophy dry spell this year with the FA Cup, a piece of silverware that is quite simply well overdue having lost previous finals such as the Carling Cup and Champions League.

Arsenal without Wenger is hard to imagine, but at times decisions by Wenger are hugely questionable. His handling of transfer business and reluctance to dip into the transfer funds available at Arsenal has been a major criticism. Arsenal are in desperate need of a striker, with Giroud not quite cutting it in the Premier League and the squad depth in this position and other positions very light, but Wenger has refused to delver into the transfer window.  

Wenger will be offered a new contract at the end of the season
that will take him into 20 years at Arsenal.

Against big teams in the Premier League, Arsenal have quite simply folded and been on the end of a series of  heavy and embarrassing beatings, such as their 6-0 loss to Chelsea, their 5-1 loss to Liverpool and most recently a 3-0 loss to Everton. During these losses, it seems Arsenal lack a passionate leader, a leader who could motivate them at half time and change the game with tactics and substitutions. Wenger looks grim faced and does little to radically change the side when the scoreline looks so abysmally poor. Credit to the Arsenal faithful though, they have backed  Wenger during some of the hardest times this season, with chants such as: "Arsene we trust."

Imagine Arsenal with a manager who has an instilled winning mentality, a manager that would not dream of selling key players to title rivals and was willing to win at any cost. The most successful managers in English football all have this mentality and in recent years looks to have escaped Wenger. The Arsene of old was a manager that played stylish and successful football but had the winning mentality installed into his players, something in previous seasons has not been apparent.

Arsenal players have under performed
at times during heavy defeats

Some would argue a change in management to someone who is solely focused on winning would cause a sacrifice to the the entertaining football played at the Emirates. This could be true, but many Arsenal fans would agree this would be a worthy sacrifice as long as it meant trophies once again returned to Arsenal. Results that are grinded out with less goals in the final scoreline could become more of a regular occurrence, but is a vital ability to do for successful teams.

Credit to Wenger however for nurturing younger talents and giving them chances in the first team but it's Wenger's handling of these players once they have developed that has earned Arsenal a reputation as a selling club. Top players like Robin Van Persie, Gael Clichy, Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri are all examples of players that have left the side in search of silverware and some have joined Arsenal's rivals in the Premier League.

Van Persie was developed by Wenger at Arsenal
but later sold to rivals Manchester United.

Arsenal's longest serving manager is likely to sign a new deal, having said: "My commitment is full. I do not want to look somewhere else. I want to stay here. There shouldn't be any uncertainty at all. My desire is to stay. It will be done soon but I want now to focus on the end of the season." With his deal ending in the summer, expect Arsenal to offer him a deal during the close season.

Whether or not Wenger is the right man for Arsenal, there is no questioning his loyalty and commitment to the side. Arsenal must celebrate Wenger and the incredible feats he had achieved at the club but even the best managers do have a sell-by date. Is giving the man who has failed to deliver any silverware for the past 8 years really the right person to lead the club?   

The striker shuffle

The one position that has probably cost Chelsea from being a more dominant side in England and Europe is the striking department. Mourinho has publicly spoke about his frustration with his strikers and many critics have underlined the lack of goals from the forwards as a major stumbling block for Chelsea. With players likely to come in during the summer, could this see Fernando Torres, Samuel Eto'o and Demba Ba head towards the exit and maybe even the talent of Romelu Lukaku sacrificed?

Mourinho has regularly shared his concerns about his forwards and has also revealed plans to bring in striker he believes will score goals this summer. He said: "The problem with Chelsea is we lack a scorer. I have one (Eto'o) but he's 32." Mourinho knows the club lacks the fire power needed to compete at the level he wants Chelsea to be at and fans can definitely expect to see at least one striker to be sold.  

A British record signing at £50 million, this could be Fernando Torres' final season at Stamford Bridge with Mourinho becoming frustrated with the Spainard's performances of late. Much was expected when Chelsea announced the signing of Torres, but unfortunately Torres has never lived up to the price tag and has been labelled a "flop" by many pundits.   

Diego Costa has been sounded out as
a Chelsea target and is the bookies favourite to sign.

Although he has had his moments, for example his goal against Barcelona, Torres quite simply isn't the player he was at previous clubs and this season could be his last with Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid interested, the latter Torres has already expressed his interest in. Former assistant coach Ray Wilkins recently claimed he expects Torres to leave, saying: “Torres has no future at Chelsea. I think he has seen his time out there."

A major surprise sale could come this summer, with Chelsea considering letting go of the potential that Romelu Lukaku possesses amid interest from fierce rivals Tottenham and a host of other clubs. The 20 year old has impressed on loan at Premier League clubs West Brom and Everton and has demonstrated he has the ability to become a top player. Some argue that his decision making at times lets him down, but with coaching that can easily  be improved and with his physical prowess he can be a nightmare for defenders.

Lukaku's agent has already confirmed that he has spoken to Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy and his recent comments does suggest the Belgian could be on his way out. Lukaku's agent Christophe Henrotay said: "I'm looking for a club for Romelu. And yes, I've talked to Daniel Levy once, but that doesn't mean Romelu will definitely join Spurs. That's not a talking point at this moment." Whether or not this is a tactic deployed by an agent to get reassurance over his client's future remains to be seen, but letting go of self confessed Chelsea fan Lukaku would be criminal. 

Torres has been less than impressive this year
and has failed to live up to his price tag.

Demba Ba was a £7 million January purchase following impressive performances for Newcastle in the Premier League. However, what must be highlighted is at the time, Chelsea had one striker in the form of a fatigued and below par Fernando Torres, so signing a stop-gap striker to provide Torres competition and cover was a necessity. Demba Ba was close to leaving at the start of the season in a loan move to local rivals Arsenal, a move that was blocked by Mourinho as he knew a striker of Demba Ba's quality was exactly what Wenger needed.  

When Dermba Ba was signed, many Chelsea fans knew that the Senegalese front man would not be at the club for a prolonged period. Although he has had some good performances and not a bad option to bring off the bench, Demba Ba does not possess the quality to lead the front line on his own in Mourinho's 4-2-3-1 for a club that is a contender for every competition they enter. Demba Ba is almost certain to leave and destinations have been rumoured to be a return to Newcastle or a move to Europe.  

Lukaku has been one of Everton's stand out players
this season in Roberto Martinez's debut season at Goodison Park.

Finally, on just a one year contract with Chelsea and at the ripe age of 32, Samuel Eto'o may not get a contract extension despite impressing of late. Having started the season slowly, it seemed Eto'o may not possess the pace and incisiveness that once made him one of Europe's most prolific marksmen, but it seems Mourinho does have faith in Eto'o and could decide to keep him beyond the one year deal. Although Eto'o does not fit in with the policy of buying youthful prospects Chelsea have tried to get in place, it would not be a surprise if the services of Eto'o are deemed important.

With Chelsea ever busy in the transfer window, expect much business as Mourinho looks to shuffle his squad and the main area of improvement needed is the strikers. Anyone that the ruthless former Real Madrid manager sees as dead wood can expect to be shipped out, as long as it does not aid clubs that could threaten Chelsea. It is going to be a very interesting summer at Stamford Bridge....

The Barcelona ban

European giants Barcelona have been hit with a one year ban from any activity in the transfer window for breaching international rules regarding the signings of under 18's. Barcelona have already declared they are going to appeal the decision and with the exodus of veteran stars like Victor Valdes and Carlos Puyol, the Catalan based club could be severely weakened.

Barcelona have been charged by FIFA following an investigation and stand accused of breaking the rules in the case of 10 minors and also face a charge of £306,000, hardly a fine that will trouble the financial strength Barcelona possess if their appeal is rejected. FIFA rules state that players have to be over the age of 18 if they are allowed to be involved in international transfers, unless they fall into one of three criteria. Players under the age of 18 can only move to a club abroad if: their parents move to that country for non-footballing reasons, if the move takes place in the European union and the player is aged 16-18 or if they live within 100km of the club.

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has already spoke out at FIFA's decision, having branded it a "disgrace." Bartomeu said: "We're going to fight because we think this is an injustice. It is hurting Barcelona. We have to show we have done nothing wrong. We have tried to be as transparent as possible, explain what has happened and let people know the truth and that the accusations are false."  

Barcelona face a transfer embargo for a whole year,
with areas in the team in desperate need of replacing.

Bartomeu believes that FIFA decided to investigate Barcelona because of a anonymous complaint by a anonymous person in an attempt to make the club look bad. Bartomeu said: "We are still studying certain documents and we will continue doing that until we can say which people, or who, is behind this.We know we have to fight hard. We have had enough of this basically. Somebody out there is trying to tarnish the good name of our model." 

Barcelona were expected to make several transfers in the summer to replace the loyal players that have been at the club for years, with centre back, goalkeeper and midfielder all sounded out as necessary signings. Reports have suggested that the transfer block could effect the deal they already have in place for Dinamo Zagreb starlet Alen Halilovic and although nothing declared by the club, Borussia Mongladbach's highly rated goalkeeper Andre Ter Stegen may now not be heading to the Camp Nou. The ban could see Barcelona lose out on many big players, with Ter Stegen's agent already speaking out saying he doubts his client will now move to Barcelona.    

Bartomeu has spoke of Barcelona's
decision to appeal FIFA's ban.

Any club will tell you that a year in the transfer market will feel like an eternity and even with the might of Barcelona, there are areas that need improvement. If their appeal is turned down by FIFA, it will come as a huge blow to Barcelona's aspirations and could cause them to fall behind league rivals Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid next season. Thankfully, Barcelona do have their impressive academy to fall back on and have plenty of talent in their ranks, even if they are inexperienced, could prove valuable.  

The ban has disgraced a club that has a strong underlined policy of winning with fair play and grace, a policy which has seen them win silverware and plaudits for their style of football played. Expect Barcelona to fight tooth and nail to have this ban overturned and with the financial and political power the club has, it may well be overturned.