Fantasy Football Watchlist – Andre Schurrle
Thursday’s news that Chelsea have agreed an £18m fee with Bayer Leverkusen for Andre Schurrle has left the Blues on the verge of signing their first player since manager Jose Mourinho returned to the club.
Sportingly Better analyses the arrival of Andre Schurrle to the Premier League and his potential fantasy football value next season.
André Schürrle
After spending his entire career in the Bundesliga, German forward Andre Schurrle has left the BayArena for Stamford Bridge as Chelsea begin to shape their side ahead of the new football season.
Schurrle started his career at Mainz, helping die Nullfunfer record a ninth placed finish in the Bundesliga, after scoring five goals and making three assists in his debut season.
Schurrle featured predominantly as a number nine for Mainz the following season, scoring 15 goals in 34 league appearances, as Mainz secured a top five finish in the league.
A £6.5m move to Bayer Leverkusen soon followed, but Schurrle was forced to play out wide for much of the campaign by coach Robin Dutt and that decision left the Germany international with a return of just five league goals that season.
A total of 14 goals and nine assists was Schurrle’s contribution last season, with the Werkself securing a top three finish and UEFA Champions League qualification under manager Sami Hyypia.
Schurrle will likely be subject to squad rotation under Mourinho, with the likes of Eden Hazard, Juan Mata, Oscar, Demba Ba, Romelu Lukaku and Fernando Torres all vying for forward places at the club.
Rumours continue to surround the future of Ba and Torres and should Mourinho decide to dispense with either player’s services, then Schurrle’s claims for a central striking position could dramatically improve.
Schurrle’s work-rate, pace and counter-attacking ability could see the former Bayer Leverkusen player feature out wide as part of Chelsea’s attacking midfield three, but a more traditional number 9 spot appears to be Schurrle’s most productive position.
A midfield classification is likely to be made when the new squad list is announced for the 2013-2014 Premier League fantasy football season and a fee of around £8.5m could leave many managers pondering Schurrle’s selection in their squad.
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Author Credit: Jonathan Day
Image Credit: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Andre_Sch%C3%BCrrle,_Germany_national_football_team_%2801%29.jpg