Buzzin Football Blog

Not for the first time, Ronaldinho has been linked with a move from Barcelona to Chelsea, and with Jose Mourinho no longer at Chelsea, the speculation appears much more feasible.

Roman Abramovich was allegedly more concerned with the style of football, than the lack of trophies, Chelsea played under Jose Mourinho. Mourinho’s plans and authority appeared undermined by the arrival of big star names such as Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack. The money he spent was on building a much younger team with a spirit of togetherness. The younger all-for-one attitude served Mourinho well at his former club Porto, and is similar to Arsene Wenger’s approach at Arsenal.

But Chelsea look to be firm favourites to buy Ronaldhino when he leaves Barcelona because of Abramovich’s claim to wanting the best team of players in the world and to play flamboyant football like Real Madrid and Barcelona. But how will he fit into the team? What formation will they play? Where will Chelsea’s current no. 10 Joe Cole fit into the starting eleven? And wouldn’t it further disrupt the Chelsea team spirit and dressing room?
Furthermore,  with Shevchenko, Ballack and Ronaldinho, Chelsea would begin to resemble the teams of the 1990’s - great teams but full of mercenaries looking to play for a year or two longer at the top level.  This short term perspective didn’t turn Chelsea into a major European force in the 1990’s and won’t do so now.

Under Glen Hoddle, Ruud Gulitt and Luca Vialli Chelsea also brought other world class players to the Premier League but the team was never as solid a team as under the guidance of Mourinho; and this I believe will be the undoing of Chelsea if they continue to look at world class millionaires that are simply past their prime.

If Chelsea are serious about wanting to be champions of Europe and a major force for years to come, they should be buying Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto from Barcelona, not Ronaldinho.