Former Chelsea midfielder Craig Burley feels FC Porto star Jesus Corona, who has been linked with the Blues, would struggle to get in to the side at Stamford Bridge.

Frank Lampard is expected to look to make additions to his squad over the course of the summer and could be in a solid financial position if Chelsea finish in the top four.  

 



The Blues are already being linked with a host of players from across the football world and Porto winger Corona has seen his name mentioned in connection with the Premier League side.

However, Burley feels the 27-year old would struggle to get in to the team at Chelsea, even if he was to go in as a right-back and not a right winger.
 


The ex-Chelsea man emphasised the emergence of Reece James this season and stressed the 20-year old Blues youth product is another viable candidate for the right-hand side, further downplaying Corona’s chances of featuring regularly at the club.



“It's paper talk. I think if you sat Frank Lampard down, he’d scratch his head and say, ‘Well, we are looking at other positions’”, Burley, asked about the transfer link, said on ESPN FC.

“There are quite a few and most of them young up and coming players with plenty of talent, and look if you want to look at them and say, ‘Is he going to play potentially as a wing-back?’.
 

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“Yes, Lampard did do that on the odd occasion last year primarily to get [Marcos] Alonso on the left-side because he was better as a wing-back than as a full-back.

“But if he plays a back four, most of the time he’s covered down the right side. He's got Cesar Azpilicueta, who’s the club captain and is very versatile, can play left-back, right-back and can play as a centre-back in a back three.

“Now you have got a young lad in Reece James who did very, very well for Chelsea last year coming in down that right hand side.

“[He is] big and powerful, loves to get forward, is learning the game, who’s very good in the final third with balls in to the box and then all the wingers [at the club] so I really don’t see this as a go-er.”

Burley does admit he could understand Chelsea going all out for Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho, but feels rivals Manchester United will outspend them in their bid to acquire the winger, and insisted the Blues need to prioritise the signing of an out and out striker.

“I could see them push the boat out for Jadon Sancho just because they could take another winger if they are getting one of the best up and coming players in European football.

"But I think Manchester United will out-price them on that and I don’t think Chelsea will push the boat out for another wide player in the region of £100m.

"I think they need an out and out striker more than that.”

Corona has featured in every league game for Porto this season and has tallied ten assists for the Portuguese club in the process.