Sergio Ramos to follow Jose Mourinho to Chelsea

Regardless of how the English Premier League finishes, it is obvious that Chelsea needs help going into next season.

While the club was productive for most of the year, it had an early exit in the Champions League and is far behind Manchester United at the top of the standings. This group has high expectations, and the 2012-13 season did not live up to that.

As a result, the squad is looking into making some changes that will help it improve for the future.

The first major one is the potential acquisition of manager Jose Mourinho. According to Dave Kidd of Mirror Football, this reunion appears very likely:

    Roman Abramovich has ­arranged to meet Jose Mourinho this week to discuss a possible return to Chelsea.

    It is believed that the talks, scheduled to take place in the Mediterranean aboard the Chelsea owner’s £300million super-yacht Eclipse, would be the first face-to-face meeting between the pair to thrash out a return for Mourinho.

If the current Real Madrid boss decides to return to England, he is likely to bring along at least one talented player to join the roster.

Pete Jenson of The Independent reports that Xabi Alonso is likely to join his manager on the trip:

    Chelsea could land Jose Mourinho on the cheap this summer and get the former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso into the bargain if the Real Madrid coach goes back to Stamford Bridge.

    Alonso is out of contract at the end of next season and has still not responded to Real Madrid's offer of a two-year extension. The 31-year-old has become one of Mourinho's biggest allies at the Bernabeu while other Spain internationals have fallen out with the Portuguese coach.

If this does happen, it would be the perfect addition for Chelsea.

Alonso will bring in veteran leadership and experience to a club that can be inconsistent at times. We have seen throughout the year that the club is capable of beating great opponents and then loses to inferior clubs in the same week.

The great goal differential in the league season shows the squad's talent, but the lack of composure has cost it valuable points. Frank Lampard will not be around forever, and there needs to be someone else who can come in and be a leader.

After years of great play with Liverpool, Real Madrid and the Spanish national team, Alonso knows what it takes to win. His success should carry over to his new squad.

Of course, the 31-year-old midfielder can still contribute as a player. He is great defensively and has excellent control of the game to be able to either push the pace or maintain possession if it is needed.

While he has never been a great goalscorer, his skill as a passer should make everyone on the squad better, which will lead to more scores from the forwards.

Chelsea already has great players in the middle of the pitch, but Alonso has the ability to help on both ends as much or more than anyone currently on the roster.

Additionally, Alonso's apparent willingness to come on board should allow Chelsea to acquire him relatively cheaply. It would not be surprising if the transfer process went quickly as Real Madrid simply looks to get rid of the Mourinho ally.

This could allow the club to use its budget to get even more talented players to help for next season, like striker Radamel Falcao.

Chelsea is always looking to be the best squad in the EPL as well as the rest of Europe. Grabbing a talented player like Alonso would be a great first step toward returning to this level after a mediocre season.