Chelsea are deciding whether or not to sign Bayer Leverkusen's André Schürrle, according to Jason Burt at The Telegraph.

Schürrle, a 21-year-old German international rose to prominence for Mainz, which sealed a £6.5 million move to Leverkusen last year.

Who is Schürrle? Well this article aims to expand your knowledge about Chelsea's latest summer transfer target.

Jason Burt at The Telegraph reported that Chelsea are preparing a £14-15.5 million bid for André Schürrle. 

Newcastle United sign Papiss Cissé, one of the Bundesliga's best players, for £9 million.

Meanwhile, Chelsea are reportedly going to bid £15 million for Schürrle, who has been hot and cold for Bayer Leverkusen. 

If there was any time to justify a £15 million transfer fee for Schürrle, it was last season when he was in superb form for Mainz. 

Signing him for £15 million would be as economically inefficient as signing the Bundesliga's 107th-best player for £7 million—Marko Marin, welcome to Chelsea. 

Unfulfilled. 

So much more was expected from André Schürrle after his breakout season for Mainz. 

This season, he has only scored six league goals for Bayer Leverkusen, compared to 15 for Mainz last season. 

The primary reason for Schürrle's inconsistency this season is because he is being played out wide, whereas he played mainly as a forward for Mainz. 

It's baffling why Chelsea would submit £15 million for someone who has been a hit-and-miss this season. 

Dribbling 

One of the first characteristics you notice about André Schürrle is his magical feet. On his day, he can humiliate full-backs, especially ones with defensive deficiencies. 

In a 2-1 win over Valencia, he took Miguel to school, gliding past the clueless Portuguese right-back at will. 

Work Rate

It's rare for someone as technical as Schürrle to put in the hard yards. He has completed 43 tackles and 46 interceptions. 

In comparison, Daniel Sturridge has completed eight tackles and 15 interceptions. 

Class

That first step, the way he advances in possession, his passing, his technique—it all points to a first-rate footballer. 

Finishing 

Even though Schürrle's finishing hasn't been efficient this season, he was taking his chances for Mainz. 

Inconsistency 

When André Schürrle isn't on song, he drifts in and out of games.

In a 4-1 loss to Köln, he should have dominated Henrique Sereno, but he didn't. 

This is a Köln side now battling relegation. 

Twice Schürrle has gone through six successive games without scoring. 

Can He Handle the Pressure? 

He has played 11 games against Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, but he has yet to score. 

Not only did he not score in four UEFA Champions League games against Barcelona and Chelsea, he looked timid in the bright lights. 

He averages 3.1 dribbles per game, but that dropped to 1.5 in the Champions League. 

This proves he was afraid to express himself against the big teams. 

During this season, I was seduced by André Schürrle's fantastic dribbling ability and I didn't stop and think—is he happy playing out wide? 

He was classy as a forward for Mainz, but he has failed to replicate that form out wide for Bayer Leverkusen. 

Just because Chelsea are owned by Roman Abramovich doesn't mean they should disregard financial stability. 

Spending £50 million on Fernando Torres, who imitated Stéphane Guivarc'h at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, worked out, didn't it? 

It wasn't a wise decision to buy Andriy Shevchenko for £30.8 million when the Special One was waging a cold war against Abramovich. 

What a waste of £18 million for Yuri Zhirkov, whose squad status was benchwarmer.  

Buying a right-back in José Bosingwa for £16.2 million, only to find out he can't defend. 

Signing Marko Marin for £7 million was bizarre given he has struggled this season. 

Now £15 million for André Schürrle? If Chelsea really want him to succeed, then they need to play him up front because he hasn't produced out wide. 

If they're not going to play Romelu Lukaku up front, why would they play Schürrle in his preferred position? 

Oh, talking about Lukaku, Chelsea did a perfect job stunting his development. 

Please read Predicting Löw's Starting German XI at Euro 2012. 

Statistics courtesy of WhoScored.com, transfermarkt.co.uk and football-lineups.com.