Premier League champions Chelsea have been linked to many players during the current transfer window and many fans have discussed who they should go for and who they need the most.

Personally, I think that Bayern Munich and Germany star Bastian Schweinsteiger should be made Carlo Ancelotti’s number one target this summer and the club should do their best to bring the versatile midfielder to Stamford Bridge ahead of the 2010/11 season.

The 25-year-old would be a perfect fit for the Blues due to his playing style and would help alone replace the void left by departures such as Michael Ballack, Juliano Belletti and Deco, who is expected to be out of the door soon.

Schweinsteiger has mainly caught the eye of fans following his impressive displays in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa where he helped a young and exuberant Germany side into third place, with his best moment probably being the superb run and low cross which setup Arne Friedrich’s tap-in for Germany’s third goal against Diego Maradona’s Argentina side.

The 25-year-old also showed his quality for his club last season as Bayern won a league and cup domestic double as well as making their way into the Champions League final where they lost to Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan side.

Schweinsteiger was mooted as a replacement for Ballack even before the World Cup and perhaps it would be a lot harder to prise him away from Bayern now, as well as being a lot more expensive.

He has been at his current club for his entire professional career which began in the 2002/03 season and is willing to remain loyal to the Bundesliga outfit believing he can still achieve a lot there:

“There are always a few offers, but I have a contract with Bayern until 2012 and I respect the contract and the club.

“I know that there is something great at Bayern. We didn't reach the UEFA Champions League final without good reason - and to win it is my ambition.”

However, he also revealed that a potential move abroad excites him:

“To end this talk I will just say that I am not married to Bayern.

“The Bundesliga is great, and has become more important, but if I were to move on then, of course, the idea of going abroad is what excites me.”

Schweinseiger has recently been successful in a deep-lying midfield role, similar to the role played by Ballack during his last few Chelsea games, but the Bayern man is also capable of playing a more offensive midfield position or even in a wider role. Due to his versatility he would arguably be well suited to the Blues’ 433 formation and Ancelotti’s original diamond formation.

Many Chelsea fans argue that Michael Essien is somewhat wasted when he is played in a deeper role and having someone like Schweinsteiger in the team could allow the Ghanaian to go forward more and attack. Also, Frank Lampard would benefit from having two workhorses of midfielders alongside him and allow him to continue his late runs into the box which has made him so successful and prolific.

Schweinsteiger has never really been prolific himself, but can chip in with the odd goal (32 goals in 304 Bayern Munich games). More impressive are the amount of assists he makes (59 in his Bayern career) and the way he can control a game by bossing the midfield.

Should Ancelotti make signing Bastian Scweinsteiger a priority for the Stamford Bridge outfit, or do Chelsea fans think there are better prospects out there?

*

Follow me on Twitter: ajwilliams1987

Get the latest Chelsea news on Twitter

*