Blues signing of Carlos Vicente is both bold and fascinating.
The club are understood to have spent in the region of £7 million on the Deportivo Alavés winger, seeing off Ajax for his capture.
The 26-year-old is a bullish right winger, a position where Blues already have Patrick Roberts, one of their best performers this season.
But by bringing in the Spaniard, it shows that Blues are determined to (hopefully) improve, strengthen and build regardless, whether it might look like a puzzling capture on the face of it.
Demarai Gray can also play off the right if needs must so Blues are well stocked in that area of the pitch.
However, Roberts is on loan from Sunderland and although Blues have held talks to make the transfer permanent, there has been no positive movement in that respect.
Blues can point to Vicente being an up-grade on a departed wideman Keshi Anderson, plus you can’t have enough quality options if you are trying fulfil an ambition of promotion, even if a sustained challenge might be more likely next season.
Similarly, they brought in Ibrahim Osman on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion and cut short Lewis Koumas’ loan from Liverpool because they felt they had secured a better option – and someone who also might become a permanent addition in the summer.
Blues are touching £15 million in transfer fees alone this January window after Vicente put pen to paper on a three-and-a-half-year contract. We all knew Blues would be active, but to this extent is perhaps surprising.
The implications for Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) are intriguing.
Blues would not have been so aggressive in the market and in their spending if it was going to put them in trouble, surely?
We can only assume that the trading is offset by increasing revenue streams/sponsorships to help ensure they are within the limits, and also the bartering that has been apparent so far in January by moving out eight players to bring in fees and free up wages is another factor.
Blues are remodelling their squad for the here and now and also the mid-term future it seems.
Vicente may only be 5ft 9in tall, but he has muscular strength won’t be knocked around. He works for the team and has staying power.
His father played rugby and Vicente and his twin brother David both grew up in Zaragoza well used to the biff and bash of the sport.
So a winger he may be, but Vicente is not averse to mixing it and physical contact.
And he’s also different in style to Roberts, who inverts and comes inside onto his left foot to create issues. Vicente is a bit of a throwback – he stays wide, is direct, and gets crosses into the box.
He’s not a goalscoring winger (albeit he has registered 10 goals in league and cup this season). He attacks down the flank and is a provider of balls into dangerous areas.
So he gives Blues and Chris Davies something else, rather like Osman – who has speed and goes for the jugular – and Priske, who is a penalty box player who wants to arrive on the end of things.
If you like, Davies has brought in a Louie Donowa for the left in Osman and a Jon McCarthy for the right in Vicente and Priske a Nicklas Bendtner type to finish moves off.
Whether Vicente’s signing signals a shift to a more direct and no-nonsense style of play remains to be seen as Roberts is more suited to a possession-based, patient system; Vicente is more effective in transition, in the open spaces and eschewing the intricate.
Vicente’s addition increases the tactical flexibilty for Davies, certainly.
Vicente did the hard yards in the Spanish fourth and third divisions before getting his break. He helped Racing de Ferrol into the Segunda Division and became an in-demand rising star. Alaves signed him in December 2023 with Valencia and Celta Vigo also interested at the time.
The Basque club based in Vitoria have been punching above their weight in La Liga.
Vicente scored after three minutes into what was his farewell game against Real Betis on Sunday.
He was substituted towards the end of the 2-1 victory to a standing ovation and Alaves fans pleading with him to stay.
