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It's a little bit weird being in the middle of a transfer deadline marathon in which the manager has said a midfielder has to come in and finding Chelsea in the midst of a bidding auction for one of our own midfield players. But apparently, that's exactly what has happened, with Yossi Benayoun now caught in a three-way chase between Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, and Arsenal according to various sources.

Benayoun is certainly on the way out at this point, but still, it's fascinating to see this going on while Chelsea are apparently unable to land the midfielder(s) they want. With Luka Modric toast, Joao Moutinho weirdly untalked-about and Alvaro Pereira apparently not happening either*, the Blues have achieved nothing in the centre of the pitch and will actually weaken themselves when Benayoun does end up leaving.

*Ignore the Sky reports saying Pereira's agent saying there's a deal being worked out, it's about 18 hours old.

What's going to be done about this? I don't know, but it's almost certainly not nothing. There are too many compelling reasons to add some numbers to the midfield, and it wouldn't make any sense to go through the window with nobody returning to Stamford Bridge. For me, the longer this goes on, the more likely we are to end up with Moutinho or Pereira, because unlike Modric, they don't require negotiations. If Chelsea are desperate, they can wait until late and pay the buyout clauses. If that's plan B, cool. If not, well, I can't think of one.