Alex Teixeira could be a Chelsea player as soon as the January transfer window opens.
The Shakhtar midfielder, 25, has said the clubs are “deep” into talks to sign him with the Daily Express in England claiming that a $45 million deal is being negotiated as Jose Mourinho tries to bolster his side for the second half of the season.
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Teixeira has scored 23 goals in 23 games for the Ukrainian outfit this season and the Brazilian would certainly slot in at Stamford Bridge with plenty of his countrymen to help him settle into life in England.
With reports claiming that Mourinho is looking at alternatives to Diego Costa up front, plus the duo having a disagreement during Chelsea’s UEFA Champions League win in midweek, it seems like the Blues really are looking to strengthen in attack as they try to overcome a shocking start to the season which has left them languishing in the bottom half of the table and 12 points off the top four.
Other reports claim that Mourinho wants more from Costa in attack but it’s likely he will remain at the Bridge as the focal point in the Blues’ attack.
Teixeira, who has been at Shakhtar since 2010, could play just in-behind Costa and help reignite Chelsea’s season. He has scored 85 goals in 218 games for the Ukrainian powerhouse and could follow in the footsteps of his former teammate and countryman Willian in making the switch to Chelsea. That worked out for everyone involved in the past and with Chelsea desperate for reinforcements, despite Mourinho saying on Friday that he doesn’t expect to make any transfers, Teixeira could well be another Shakhtar player who could flourish for a top European club (see, Douglas Costa, Willian, Henrikh Mkhitaryanand, Luiz Adriano et al.).