The name Andrea Pirlo has been lingering on the lips of Chelsea followers ever since the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti.The Italian midfielder played under the manager at AC Milan, and the pair have been strongly linked for a Stamford Bridge reunion for the past two months.
However, after watching the Blues in action during a 2-2 draw at Reading in their final friendly of the summer on Saturday, you have to wonder where Pirlo would fit into this side.
Ancelotti has made it clear he will persist with a diamond formation in the middle of the field this term. At the Madejski Stadium John Obi Mikel took the holding role, with Frank Lampard and Michael Essien ahead of him, and Deco leading.
The quartet dominated the battle against their Championship rivals - but will have Michael Ballack, Joe Cole, Juliano Belletti and Yuri Zhirkov, amongst others, ready to compete for their shirts in the coming months.
That means Ancelotti is already going to have some super-egos to contend with while backsides are picking up splinters on the subs' bench.
So to add Pirlo, a 30-year-old stranger to the Premier League, to the frame seems slightly odd.
Reports suggest that Pirlo is ready to hand in a transfer request at AC Milan, but Ancelotti remains guarded.
"I can't use Pirlo in our next game, so all I think about is the players I have here," he explained. "He is a Milan player and I only think of my players.
"I don't think we will bring in anyone before the start of the season, because we start in a week."
That is not strictly true - as next Sunday's encounter is against Manchester United in the Community Shield, a contest considered a glorified friendly.
But Ancelotti certainly has issues to contend with before the Wembley meeting with Sir Alex Ferguson's champions.
For this friendly with Reading he started Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka together in attack - but it was substitute Salomon Kalou who impressed most as he netted late, before a Florent Malouda free kick was diverted home and secured a draw.
And another question is where the delivery for the two front men will come from?
The diamond formation seems to leave Chelsea very narrow, so full-backs Ashley Cole and Jose Bosingwa will have more responsibility to provide ammunition.
Oh yes, and the Pirlo will-he, won't-he sign saga, will rumble on.
