Chelsea have been linked with a number of players this summer. However, Ajax’s Riechedly Bazoer could be the perfect compliment for the Blues and Antonio Conte.
This summer, almost every player under the sun has been linked with Chelsea FC at one point or another. One that has unfortunately fallen by the wayside is Ajax’s Riechedly Bazoer. The reason why he could be a perfect fit for Chelsea moving forward is not simply that he could be a decent addition for this year, but truly he could be a gem in Chelsea’s midfield for the best part of the next decade.
When I played youth level football, my favorite teams to play against were always the sides in the Netherlands. I was so impressed by the importance that they put on youth and technique that I always came away with a great deal of respect and jealousy for not only the Dutch game, but in many ways total football (and its modern versions like Barcelona’s tiki-taka).
It was not uncommon for a coach to switch players around on the field to emphasize their work on the weaker parts of their game. They would put attackers in defense and left sided players on the right.
They forced their teams to become fully-functioning organisms that played and thought as one. That is why so many of the players that come out of Holland and the Dutch youth teams at Ajax, PSV and, to a lesser but still admirable extent, Feyenoord end up being such well rounded and technical players. If you look at the history of Barcelona, their DNA is embedded in the tulip fields of Holland.
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What was most apparent in Chelsea FC’s failings this past season was how poorly rounded the squad was. They could only play one style of football and that was it. Too many of the players were specialists in only one particular job but couldn’t fulfill the roles of their teammates when called upon, be it for a simple overlap or because of injury.
This may be wishful thinking but, in future, hopefully we will see a central midfield that is patrolled by Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Lewis Baker with Riechedly Bazoer as the third and complementary piece.
One would hope that the days of seeing Loftus- Cheek wasted in the number 10 role are over and that he can move back to the midfield anchor position he so much prefers. With his colossal stride, tackling ability and vision he could become the dominant Viera-esque figure in front of the defense that Chelsea need.
Then at some point the club will need to acknowledge the talents of Baker as well. Baker dominated the Toulon tournament, often considered a finishing school of sorts for top prospects, and showed in doing so just how good he is.
He is a wonderful passer but, unlike Cesc Fabregas, he actually possesses a work ethic and has far fewer defensive limitations. The reason why Bazoer fits so well is because he would mould straight in as a box-to-box midfielder. Try to imagine him as a combination of Edgar Davids and Wesley Sneijder.
A midfield of Bazoer, Baker and Loftus-Cheek could be a dominant force not only in England but in Europe for many years. One of the things that made the strong Chelsea teams of the past decade so dominant was that they always possessed strong midfields.
Even just throwing out names of players who were midfielders at the time is something many clubs would be jealous of. Just to name a few: Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack, Michael Essien, Claude Makelele, Ruud Gullit, Gianluca Vialli, Marcel Desailly and (though he comes in for criticism) Cesc Fabregas. The point is Chelsea need to get back to those times.
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We at The Pride of London deeply wanted to see Radja Nainggolan end up in blue at Stamford Bridge. He would have been a decent player for Chelsea.
Having said that, there were concerns that he was another one of these band-aid solutions to a more serious problem. Bringing in a 28/29-year-old to play the same position as one of Chelsea’s brightest prospects would not have been good for the long-term ambitions of the club.
Again, that is not saying Nainggolan isn’t a good player. He is a magnificent one and, should he arrive, he would definitely help with the quick recovery to the Champions League places.
The problems this season were more down to the fact that Chelsea have for years and years pursued these short-term fixes and they all came to a head during one season at the same time.
For a team to be successful it needs to have an identity. Identities grow from consistency. Loftus-Cheek and Baker already know one another well and have played together plenty. Simply adding Bazoer and letting them get some consistent playing time together while letting Nemanja Matic and Fabregas work in until they move on should be the path forward.
According to transfermarkt.com. Bazoer is worth roughly €15 million. A bid in the upper 20’s to mid 30’s should be enough to secure his transfer. Then, with Chelsea having the midfield locked up for the foreseeable future, the rest of the team can take shape around them.
Hopefully, Michy Batshuayi will progress into the terrifying attacker he has the potential to be alongside Dominic Solanke and Tammy Abraham. Then add any of Ake, Christensen, Zouma, Aina, DaSilva, Clarke-Salter and Tomori to round out the rest of the playing squad and Chelsea have a strong and talented core of players who understand what it means to don the rampant lion badge.
A useful old head to throw in who truly understands the game would be Leonardo Bonucci but that could be over-ambitious.
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In a 3-5-2 formation the three midfielders in the middle of the park need to be a solid unit. They cannot waste valuable time and midfield territory allotting specific jobs to one another. That was the issue with Matic and Fabregas this season. You could have sailed a ship through the mental and physical space between them. 3-5-2 itself is reliant on a team to be a wholly functioning and self-sustaining unit. Bazoer would fit into that role perfectly.