Few academies in world football, let alone the Premier League, can hold a candle to Chelsea's Cobham.
A huge number of top-flight stars have come through the Blues' youth setup, and while some have made it into the West Londoners' side, more than a few have been lost to other teams or slipped through the cracks.
For example, Bayern Munich stars Michael Olise and Jamal Musiala spent time at Cobham, as did the in-demand Marc Guehi and Newcastle United's brilliant Tino Livramento.
Declan Rice celebrates for Arsenal
However, one of the Pensioners' biggest regrets is surely letting go of England and Arsenal star Declan Rice. Fortunately, Chelsea now appear intent on signing an international star who could become new boss Liam Rosenior's own version of Rice.
Chelsea target their own Rice
Chelsea have built themselves a squad full of talented players over the last few years.
However, as with almost all squads, there are some areas that could do with improving or reinforcing.
One that falls into the latter category is central midfield, as while Reece James is excellent there, he's best at right-back, and after Enzo Fernández and Andrey Santos, there aren't many quality options at Rosenior's disposal.
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The good news is that the club appear intent on solving this problem and are targeting someone who could be the new manager's own Rice.
At least that is according to a recent report from Spain, which claims Chelsea are very interested in Federico Valverde.
In fact, the report goes much further than that and actually states that the Blues have already tabled a monster 120m offer for the Real Madrid star, which is about £104m.
The Spanish giants have neither rejected nor accepted the offer, and according to the story, they will likely reach a decision in the summer.
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It would be a hugely expensive transfer, but given Valverde's immense ability, one Chelsea should go all out for, especially as he could be their own Rice.
Why Valverde would be Chelsea's Rice
Now, while they do have some differences - no two players are exactly alike - there are more than a few reasons why Valverde could be Chelsea's own Rice, and the first is their positional versatility.
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When the former West Ham United captain joined Arsenal, he did so as a six, and then over time, he has transitioned into an all-action monster of a central midfielder who can fill in elsewhere when needed.
Likewise, the "world-class" Real Madrid star, as one analyst dubbed him, can and has been used all over the pitch by managers over the years, but like the Gunners' number 41, he is at his very best and plays most games in the central midfield.
The reason the two internationals thrive in the middle of the park is that they are both exceptional in most phases of play.
Arteta's record signing is often the first line of defence for the North Londoners and then the player who kickstarts their attacks from deep, or ends them with a late box-crashing run.
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The exact same thing can be said about the Uruguayan star, who is constantly helping out in defence and attack.
In fact, in addition to simply being able to see it with your own eyes, the statistics make it clear how similar a player the 27-year-old is to the former West Ham United captain.
Valverde & Rice
Statistics per 90
Expected Goals
Shots on Target
Passes into the Penalty Area
Shot-Creating Actions
Goal-Creating Actions
Tackles
Blocks
Interceptions
All Stats via FBref
According to FBref, the Englishman ranks as the second most similar midfielder to him in Europe's top five leagues across the last 365 days.
The best way to understand how this conclusion has been reached is to take a look at the metrics in which the pair rank closest.
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These include things like expected goals, shots on target, passes into the penalty area, shot and goal-creation, tackles, blocks, interceptions, and more, all per 90.
Ultimately, while it would require a huge financial effort, Chelsea should do what they can to sign Valverde as he could be a game-changing addition and their own Rice.
Chelsea's Levi Colwill celebrates after the match Related
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