Imagine If…Monaco Successfully Raided Chelsea & Man Utd To Built Their Dream Team

As Monaco continue to make astonishing signings this summer, Tom Gatehouse looks at the French side’s future transfer possibilities, with many Premier League stars targeted.

A superpower has dominated proceedings in the early weeks of the summer transfer market. They have flown out of the blocks, grabbed it by the scruff of the neck, and do not look like relinquishing any time soon. They have splashed over £100m on three players already, and are looking at a plethora of other world talents to add to their ever growing pool of hyper-stars. They are managed by worldly Italian, Claudio Ranieri, and are bankrolled by a Russian billionaire. Sound familiar?

Rather than being a novelty throwback to the early Abramovich days at Chelsea, these are the first forays of new footballing power-house, AS Monaco. The French side were purchased in 2011 by Russian businessman, Dmitry Rybolovlev, who promised to deliver the struggling side back into the light from the darkness of the French second division. Now back in the big time, his reported fortune of $9.1 billion is now being used to transform the club into a world force.

Monaco made headlines this month with the shocking capture of Radamel Falcao, regarded as one of the very best strikers in the world, from Atletico Madrid for a ‘paltry’ £50m. Joining him in the Principality are Porto pair James Rodriguez and Joao Moutinho, who were snapped up for a further £60m, as well as former Chelsea rock, Ricardo Carvalho. Newspaper gossip has turned focus squarely on the French side, with a great multitude being linked with a move to the tax-free state.

Here is a possible XI for the mega-bucks outfit, one that, although unlikely to come to pass, could include future signings this summer:

GK – Victor Valdes

FB – Fabio Coentrao

FB – Patrice Evra

CB – Ricardo Carvalho

CB – David Luiz

MF – Paulinho

MF – Joao Moutinho

MF – Yohan Cabaye

FW – James Rodriguez

FW – Nani

FW – Radamel Falcao

Other links:  John Terry, Cristiano Ronaldo, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Claudio Marchisio

A real fantasy eleven, this line-up is highly unlikely to come to pass in its entirety. But while the likes of Ronaldo and Terry are almost certain to reject the French club’s advances, there are legitimate cases to be heard for almost every one of the other players named. With four out of eleven already in the bag, it is clear that Ranieri doesn’t plan to stop spending. The man who brought Frank Lampard, Petr Cech, Arjen Robben, and Claude Makelele to Chelsea is to be taken seriously; the Italian has a keen eye for talent, and certainly the luck to be where the Russian billionaires pitch up!

Victor Valdes, the long serving Barcelona keeper, has let it be known that he intends to quit the Spanish giants for pastures new, which have brought the rumours of an imminent move to Monaco. The same can be said of Real Madrid full-back, Fabio Coentrao. With Patrice Evra’s stay at Old Trafford potentially drawing to a close, a return the French league is a strong possibility, and with ties already made at Monaco during his time there, it would not be of great surprise to see him return.

David Luiz has been a subject of the transfer rumour-mill for the past few weeks. Chelsea fans would be loathe to see him go, but talk of Mourinho being unconvinced of his defending ability have continued to surface. Although a move to Barcelona would be more likely, the lure of big money at the Principality outfit could prove to be too tempting for the fiery Brazilian, if he did decide to leave.

According to a variety of English Newspapers, Newcastle’s French international midfielder, Yohan Cabaye, is set for a medical at the Russian owned club, and could be an imminent addition to the growing ranks at Monaco. A fee of £23m has reportedly been agreed, although Newcastle have so far denied the talk of his departure.

Paulinho, a goal scorer in Brazil’s defeat of Japan in the opening game of the Confederations Cup on Saturday, has found himself in Monaco’s speculation spotlight recently. And finally, Nani, the enigmatic Portuguese flyer, could  also be making the switch from Premier League to Ligue 1. A more realistic target than his international teammate, Ronaldo, Nani has only 12 months left to run on his current contract, and with negotiations so far failing to materialize, he could well be packing his bags sooner rather than later.

It will certainly be a fascinating transfer window, what with incoming Man City boss, Manuel Pellegrini, soon to be poking around the international market, and Jose Mourinho, the ‘returning one’, looking to put his own stamp on the current Chelsea era. But the neutral’s eye will be trained on the developments at Monaco. A football clubs rapid evolution is so often a truly terrific spectacle, and with some already awe-inspiring signings made, they are primed to continue to wow the world of football. Watch this space!