Today has produced a few interesting rumors, but the one that really caught my eye this morning involves a potential replacement for Ashley Cole. Valencia star and Spanish international Jordi Alba is the latest player to be linked with a move to the Blues, and Sky Sports has some quotes for the player's agent that would seem to confirm we have some interest. According to the agent:

"We are conducting negotiations for a contract extension and I cannot rule out that we will reach an agreement soon. Barcelona, as well as Chelsea, Manchester City, and maybe AC Milan, have had contacts with Valencia, but personally I'm just talking with Valencia."

This is pretty typical agent speak, but it really does make some sense. Ashley Cole has been mostly poor this season and Ryan Bertrand has been good but not great for the Blues. Alba would give us another player who is good on the ball and capable of playing wide, two things we could certainly use going forward. At only 23, Alba would be a nice long term addition as well.

While we'll certainly have some competition for the player's signature, It seems to be a fairly good sign that we're at least making contact with the club. We've had a good working relationship with them in the past as we struck a deal involving Juan Mata last summer. Valencia are still in serious financial trouble, so a sale of their top players continues to seem likely. Keep your ears open on this one, I imagine it will be one of the rumors to watch this summer.