Ramires' £25million departure from Chelsea represents fantastic business from the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.
The energetic Brazilian has provided some huge moments that will live in the history of Chelsea Football Club forever, but many fans have been consistently frustrated by his poor touch, lack of passing range and limited subtleties in his game.
This revenue is likely to be reinvested by the new manager in the summer, but will it definitely be put back into central midfield?
Ruben Loftus-Cheek will be hoping he can make the step up to first team regular next season after being around the squad for a large part of this campaign.
However, logic would dictate that the money will be reinvested in this area.
John Obi Mikel, even with his impressive performances of late, needs someone who can provide a more complete game alongside him.
The Nigerian has been under rated by many for years, but he and Cesc Fabregas look vulnerable against sides who are quick on the break.
So, depending on the tendencies of the new manager, here are five players that Chelsea could look to bring in as Ramires' replacement.
Arturo Vidal
Vidal has been linked with the Blues of late, partly down to the possibility of Antonio Conte becoming the new Chelsea manager.
Conte and Vidal worked together at Juventus and Vidal was a key component in Conte’s midfield as his engine and eye for goal compensated for Andrea Pirlo’s role at the base of the midfield.
Vidal has been a player who has caused trouble almost everywhere he has gone and recently was caught drink driving, but its not like Chelsea to shy away from controversial players.
Vidal is more technically adept that Ramires and the Chilean would be quite a coup for the Blues considering they won’t have the lure of Champions League football next season.
The Bayern midfielder is one of the most complete midfielders in the modern game and can also operate in a more offensive role and replace the goals from midfield that Chelsea lost with the departure of Frank Lampard.
Ki
Not a big name signing, but Ki is one of the most under rated players in Europe at the moment.
The South Korean international has been a superb player for Swansea over the last couple of seasons and would offer Chelsea the option of not playing either Matic or Mikel.
The Swansea man is capable of playing in a slightly more offensive role alongside a defensive midfielder and is an excellent retainer of possession.
Ki would be a cheaper alternative and, although a very different style of midfielder to Ramires, the Korean would give a different option in the midfield and offer the passing range from deep they are often without if Cesc Fabregas doesn't start.
Radja Nainggolan
A player that is a regular Belgian international, Nainggolan’s tenacious approach to midfield play makes him similar to Ramires in many ways.
Nainggolan, like Ramires, can play out wide if needed and can adapt if game to play in a role at the base of a midfield if required.
At 27, the Roma midfielder is at his peak performance levels and would give immediate impetus to the Chelsea midfield along with the driving runs from deep that are now having to be produced by a deep dropping Willian.
Nainggolan is averaging over two tackles a game in the Champions League and would be ideal for the big matches, to provide another layer of deep midfield defence when Cesc Fabregas is simply too flaky.
Claudio Marchisio
On his way to reaching veteran status, Marchisio has seen his role in the side adapt quite significantly at Juventus this season.
The Italian turned 30 last month and the risk of this signing would be in his age. The Blues have a recent record of buying players who are long past their peak and Marchisio is, at the very least, needing to change his game.
The surging runs from deep are a thing of the past for the Juve man, as Paul Pogba now takes priority in the attacking runs, and he is playing the senior supervisor role at the base of Juve’s highly talented midfield.
Just one assist, and no goals, in all club football this season shows how Marchisio has had to change and his signing would have to indicate that Nemanja Matic or John Obi Mikel are to leave the club.
Although signing this Juve man could jeopardise the chances for Loftus-Cheek, there aren’t many better central midfielders to learn your game from.
Marchisio’s change in approach is shown his pass completion, which is at a career Serie A high of nearly 90% during this campaign – compared to other years when he was focusing on chance creation ahead of ball retention.
Adrien Rabiot
Ostracised at PSG, Rabiot has not had the opportunity to develop into the player that so many believed he would be by now.
The youngster is quite a different option from the others listed and he would need time to bed in before seeing the best of him.
Unlike Marchisio or Nainggolan, Rabiot certainly has his best years ahead of him and would be an investment that the financial team could get their FFP books around.
The gamble is, that his career stagnation at PSG has damaged the youngster longer term and, it is impossible to know the real reasons why his chances have been so limited in the French capital.
In his 17 Ligue 1 appearances this season, Rabiot is averaging nearly three tackles a game, yet he has the added support of a third central midfielder rather than the comparative isolation of the sluggish John Obi Mikel along side him, as Ramires has to cope with for much of his Chelsea stay.
Rabiot is in the mould of a deep lying playmaker and, rather than replacing Ramires, would more be the heir to Cesc Fabregas’ luxury midfield throne.
A change in style at Chelsea might be in the offing, and a hugely talented 20 year old may seem tempting, but how he would have to get past the Spanish creative super computer first.
