Chelsea FC 360: Salomon Rondon to Chelsea ?

How good is Salomon Rondon and whether he will join Chelsea

With the transfer of Hulk to Chelsea news going into the back-burner, media and Blues fans alike are keen to know to which other player is likely to wear the Blue jersey next season at the Bridge.
José Salomón Rondón Giménez fits the bill. Are you feeling bored? Wait till you read the next line. DROGBA! Woken up, have you. Yes, Drogba is the player Rondon models himself on, as claimed by Rondon himself.

Salomon Rondon is a 22 year old Right-Footed, Center-Forward, who plays for Malaga, the Manchester City of Spain. Abdullah Bin Nasser Al Thani is a Qatari billionaire who bought Malaga CF for a reported €36m a couple of years ago and has big plans for the club that include a new 65,000-seater arena – to be called ‘Qatar Stadium’ – and a training academy covering 120,000 square metres. (source)

If you are a skeptic about Rondon, then continue reading to be proven otherwise. Rondon was the leading scorer for Venezuela in the FIFA U-20 World Cup held in Egypt in 2009, the country’s first appearance in a world cup finals.

Rondon has played two seasons for Malaga so far. In his first season he scored 14 goals which helped them stay afloat in the top tier. In his second season he scored 11 goals. The last goal of his, in the league, helped them clinch the crucial fourth spot in the league table thereby securing a Champions League qualification spot.

“As a person I’ve learned to listen and take advice,” he added. “And as a player, I’d put it like this: I knew how to play football but I needed to polish my game and learn my trade. I feel I’ve improved my finishing, the way I get up in the air, how I hold up the ball and my all-round technique. Having a team-mate like Ruud Van Nistelrooy also helps, though I’ve still got work to do.” Rondon to FIFA. At 22, he seems to have a matured head on his shoulders.

Furthermore, Rondon as a player is termed as an athletically built front-man, who stands 6’1 tall, possesses strength, aerial power and has ability to play with his back to goal and facing it. All those traits were seen in Drogba.

Irrespective of whether the Hulk deal goes through or not, Rondon is a player worth considering for Chelsea. Torres deserves to be on the team sheet as the number one striker. However, Rondon could be a star for the future.

He is only 22. Rondon could act as a back-up striker and could be slowly eased into the setup as age is on his side. If needed Torres and Rondon both can play upfront. Torres can be deadly if given an opportunity to run at the defenders. Rondon is perfect for that. He can hold the ball up with his back to the opposition goal and unleash a Torres terror with a through ball.

Now to the real world, from the imaginary. Will Rondon sign for Chelsea as rumored in certain sections of the media?

There have been contradictory reports. While some reports are claiming, the big spending Malaga wants to sign a big name marquee player before the start of next season, which would make Rondon surplus to requirements and others are claiming the departure of Nistelrooy makes Rondon their star center forward.

Moreover, three different sources are naming three different agents as Rondon's representative. Following are the various reports on Rondon and his Chelsea transfer.

This is the original source that everyone else is basing their story on:
Salomon Rondon is wanted by many teams in the Premier League ~ Mundo Deportivo

It is a Spanish source and basically is telling us that Rondon's agent Pablo Martinez is claiming several EPL clubs including Chelsea and 3 top German clubs want Rondon.

The same source had reported a few days ago that, Rondon's agent is the same person as Juan Mata's. If you recall Mata's agent is his father. This writer tried digging deeper and found out that Juan Manuel RODRIGUEZ MATA is a registered player agent according to FIFA. Furthermore, the report mentioned that Rondon has been pushed down the pecking order with the arrival of other star signings and wants to move on. he has only two years left in his contract and has a buy-out clause of £20 Million.

Lavinotinto was the source quoted by El Mundo Deportivo.

Noticias24 reported as recent as June 15, that his agent Paul Martinez has played down the transfer rumors. He went on to say that these rumors are part and parcel of the transfer season and that Rondon is focused on playing for Malaga next season. Italian clubs such as Juventus and Geneo are also interested in signing Rondon.

Marca had reported on June 11, that Chelsea's scouts were out to watch Rondon in action against Chile in Venezuela's 2014 World Cup qualifier. They claim Chelsea were preparing with an initial bid of €14 Million. They lost that match 0-2 to Chile. The report went on to add that the departure of Nistelrooy meant Rondon is their first choice number 9.

The Salomon Rondon’s agent Pablo Martinez confirmed that he has been in contact with a handful of Chelsea, but that no deal has been mooted yet, with the player weighing up his options. ~ NationalTurk

Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool fight for £20m Salomon Rondon ~ DailyStar

So far, we have had 3 different agents for Rondon, Pablo Martinez, Paul Martinez and Mata's father.

Rondon has two years left in his contract with Malaga and at present his market value is £8 Million. After having read various reports and analyzing them, this writer feels that if Malaga sign a big name striker in the summer, Rondon will leave. If he indeed does have a buy-out clause of £20m, Chelsea would be knocking/tearing down Malaga's door.

Rondon has immense potential. He has performed at the highest level and is only 22. He doesn't need to be loaned out like other youngsters in the Chelsea set up. He can be slotted into the first team straight away. Rondon shouldn't be looked upon as a back-up to Hulk. If possible Rondon and Hulk both must be signed up by Chelsea.

However, whether this deal takes place is not entirely dependent on Chelsea's willingness to sign Rondon. Malaga is aiming to develop a squad that can compete with Real Madrid and Barcelona. Financial strength is not an issue for Malaga. Having said that, Malaga will be tempted to sign a big name striker who has proven himself in the Champions League. If that happens, expect Rondon to leave Malaga. As a Blues fan, this writer would be hoping his favored destination is SW6.

As always please share your thoughts with us and KTBFFH.

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