1. Didier Drogba
Possibly the sulkiest striker at Chelsea, Didier Drogba has been constantly linked elsewhere since the departure of the Special One in 2007. First Barcelona and La Liga, and then Inter and the Serie A tempted the hitman. Drogba has alternately loved the London club and then claimed he was unhappy.
The attitude might have worked under a coach like Mourinho who manages to inflate the egos of his players and have it be good for the team, but under less authoritative management, the ridiculous on-pitch squabbles between Ballack and the Ivorian result from this destructive synergy.
Now the big man has lost some of his pace and is 31 years old, the time might be right to move to Inter to see out the rest of his days. Though the Inter staff will want someone younger to invest in the future, Mourinho could argue that Drogba’s proven goal-scoring record in the Champions League is just what the team needs to send them past tough European opposition. Further, if Ibrahimovic is actually sold (unlikely), then Mourinho will certainly need a non-alcoholic striker (sorry Adriano) to replace the Swede, and Drogba, comparable for power and size, might just be the fit. He doesn’t have the “Ibra-cadabra” but in a league that doesn’t require as much pace, and where his considerable weight would count for even more against less hard-tackling defenses, Drogba would surely be a deadly finisher.
2. Daniel Agger
As the numerous Liverpool fans have voiced already in this previous article, Daniel Agger is an excellent defender who is suffering on Liverpool’s bench. This isn’t an instance of a player needing time to develop – Agger is ready to play on any top European team. To become a defender that gets worldwide recognition, Agger needs to stay healthy and get regular playing time, and this simply isn’t happening at Liverpool. The last thing he needs right now is to be sitting on the bench. Skrtel and Carragher deserve their spots, so the best move for Agger would be a move elsewhere.
Real Madrid need a new center back; Cannavaro is most likely headed back to Italy and Metzelder is out of favor. Agger has the ball skills to play in the Spanish league, and there could be no complaints about club ambition. Madrid also have the galáctico-sized budget to lure the defender away with high wages.
Closer to home, Manchester City certainly could use defenders more than they need Kaka, but Agger might prefer the bench of a title-worthy Liverpool than a project that may or may not be competing for a Champions League spot next year.
There has also been talk about the two Milan clubs going to war over Agger’s signature, and both aging defenses could use a classy center back with a future.
To be honest, any club can use a classy center back with a future, the question is, which will make room?
As much as I agree he should, I doubt Drogba will move until the end of his contract. He wanted out this year until he realized nobody else could or would cover his wage demands. Suddenly, it was all, “Leave? Moi?” in the Drogba camp. In order to get somewhere near the same (or better) wages the 31 year old striker will have to have “Bosman free” payments bundled into his wages.
Losing Agger would really hurt Liverpool’s depth but it would be understandable if he wanted to move on to get more regular playing time. To be fair to the club and Benitez, as you alluded to, Agger has had a number of injury spells the past couple of seasons so they just haven’t been able to rely on him. The few times I’ve seen him, he seems to be a decent defender who’s comfortable with the ball at his feet. He’d be a good addition to most squads depending on the fee/wages involved.
Agger LFC for life