Chelsea To Sign Jose Bosingwa!

I thought Jose would be with us at the end of this season. I wasn’t wrong. We’ve got a Jose. Jose Bosingwa that is. FC Porto’s official website confirms that the 25-year old right back is pending only medicals at Chelsea. The price is 15.8 million pounds. The news is still not published in the official Chelsea website.

Well I haven’t seen much of Bosingwa myself to give you my opinion. The hearsay is that he is a very good right back with excellent attacking prowess. He has replaced Miguel in the Portuguese first team. He must be bloody good then.

Look at this profile of Bosingwa from Portugoal.net.

Watching Jose Bosingwa motoring tirelessly up and down the right flank, defending astutely and attacking menacingly, has become a spectacle within a spectacle at FC Porto’s matches over recent seasons. And at just 24 years of age Bosingwa has a collection of silverware that rivals many of Portugal’s better known players. Born in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, his family moved to Seia in central Portugal while Jose was still a young boy. Playing for local side, Fornos de Algodres, Bosingwa’s skills started to develop. He proved to be ahead of his class and was promptly recruited to join Boavista’s youth academy to further his football education. Bosingwa quickly became one of the club’s brightest prospects and turned professional in 2000 at 18 years of age. After being loaned out briefly to neighbouring club, Freamunde, the player was recalled by Boavista where he stayed for two seasons making 41 appearances in the Portuguese top flight.

His versatility – he was used as a right-back, winger and defensive midfielder by the then coach, Jaime Pacheco – and impressive performances caught the attention of city rivals, FC Porto, and the player was transferred to the Portuguese giants in the summer of 2003. It was here that the young boy born in the heart of Africa began to get a taste for winner’s medals. Under the tutelage of Jose Mourinho, Bosingwa contributed with a total of 13 appearances during Porto’s memorable 2003/04 season which saw them lift the Portuguese championship and the Champions League title.

But it was not all peaches and cream for the young right-back as tragedy struck that same year. Bosingwa was at the wheel of his jeep when excess speed and wet road conditions led to a serious accident, with the vehicle skidding off the motorway and rolling down an embankment before bursting into flames. The Porto defender was transporting four other professional footballers as passengers. All escaped alive but one of them, Sandro Luis, had to have his left foot amputated as a result of the accident. As well as having to live with a heavy conscience, Bosingwa’s recklessness fell out of favour with the club where he spent most of the season serving an internally imposed suspension. The following season Bosingwa got back into the headlines for all the right reasons, reclaiming his spot in the starting XI under Dutch coach, Co Adriaanse, as FC Porto won the domestic double.

However, it was in 2006/07 that Bosingwa truly came of age as his seemingly endless well of energy patrolling the right-hand flank the whole length of the pitch proved a major factor behind’s Porto’s retention of the Portuguese championship. His magnificent season’s cake received the proverbial cherry topping when he earned his first call-up to the senior Portugal squad just days after Porto had lifted the title.

Quite promising right? One sad inference is that we’d never get Dani Alves. I absolutely love this guy. It’s a pity that he is out of the equation now. With Sevilla missing out on champions league and Alves himself looking to move, isn’t this the right time to snatch him?

I wonder what his signing means to Belletti and Ferreira. I’m impressed with Belletti’s performance this season. He should get one more season. He can be a fantastic substitute. Ferreira was good but he just needs some kind of guidance and motivation I believe. After all he was our right back when we won our two titles. Ferreira also has the experience of winning numerous trophies, all with JM though. He signed a new 5-year deal with Chelsea in Feb 2008. So, is that a goodbye to Belletti? That’d be sad.

Few questions pop up:

1. Is Bosingwa a good signing for Chelsea?

2. Should we stick with Paulo Ferreira?

3. Should Belletti be given another season?

4. Did we miss out on Dani Alves?

Anyway, I don’t feel one bit disappointed with the signing of Bosingwa. I believe he can be a better right back than all those we’ve had in the recent years. Warm welcome to Bosingwa to the Chelsea family!