The midfielder turned heads during his spell at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, playing a vital role in Sevilla’s Europa League win, and his stock has risen to the degree that sides challenging for the Champions League are now said to be interested in him.
With the player himself saying he dreams of working with Jose Mourinho, talkSPORT looks at the case for a move to Chelsea…
Mbia was part of an incredible turn around in Sevilla’s fortunes. At the end of the 2012/13 La Liga season the Andalucian side finished in a miserable 13th place, but within a year they were challenging for the Champions League with Athletic Bilbao, while at the same time making an impressive run to the Europa League final.
Though they ultimately lost out on fourth place in the Spanish league, they did manage to win the Europe League after a dramatic penalty shootout against Benfica, with Mbia scoring his spot-kick in Turin.
While Ivan Rakitic was the big story for Sevilla last year, it’s no stretch to say that Mbia was the next best midfielder at the club, complementing his usual tenacity off the ball with an increase in composure and class while in possession.
The Cameroon midfielder scored five goals in all competitions – his best return since 2008 – including a dramatic late equaliser against Valencia at the Mestalla that sent Sevilla through to the Europa League final.
The strike, along with his successful penalty in Turin against Benfica, has turned him into a Sevilla icon despite only being at the club for one season.
In the league, Mbia’s presence was often a difference-maker for Sevilla. With him in the team they won 34 points from 19 games, an average of 1.79 points per-game.
Without him, Sevilla dropped to 29 points in 19 games, or an average of 1.53 points per-game. It is understandable therefore that they were keen to keep him on the books after this summer, but a failure to land Champions League football means the player’s aspirations are well beyond the Spanish club.
Mbia himself has admitted as much:
“I have the utmost respect for Sevilla, but it will be difficult for me to stay because I want to play at the highest level and try to win the Champions League. My dream is to be coached by Mourinho, because I think he is a great manager”.
There is little doubt over where Mbia would like to be next season therefore, but would he be worth it for Chelsea? Available on a free transfer, the Cameroon international has already been linked with Liverpool, and in the case of the Blues, he could provide much-needed cover in a key position. With David Luiz and Frank Lampard gone, and John Obi Mikel not good enough, Nemanja Matic is the only quality holding midfielder at Stamford Bridge. Mbia could take some of the pressure off the Serb, filling in for or even partnering him when necessary, and his combination of tough tackling, aerial presence and sound passing could be an asset for Jose Mourinho.
Statistically, Mbia’s similarities to Matic are shown in the fact that they both provided the same number of assists (4) in their respective leagues last season, while in terms of pass-completion, the Sevilla man only slightly lagged behind, with 84% compared to 85% from the Chelsea midfielder. When it comes to work off the ball, meanwhile, Mbia was actually slightly more effective than the Serbian, completing 84% of his tackles compared to 70% from Matic, while he also adds a goal threat from corners.
Taking the above into consideration, and keeping in mind that quality holding midfielders aren’t necessarily easy to come by, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Chelsea at least consider Mbia’s plea for a move. If he performs to the same level at Stamford Bridge as he has with Sevilla, he could be a useful signing in anticipation of competing on all fronts next season.
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