Chelsea must keep pace with rivals in wing-back transfer market

Kenedy’s social media incident this weekend was an unwelcome distraction for Chelsea FC, one that further highlighted the club’s weakness at wing-back.

Chelsea had a particularly trying weekend in their pursuit of depth at wing-back. Manchester City announced Danilo’s signing, then promptly shifted their attention to Monaco’s Benjamin Mendy. Inter Milan’s Antonio Candreva dismissed rumours of a transfer. And rather than spend time developing their in-house future wing-back, the Blues had to issue a formal public apology for Kenedy’s social media comments.

Last season Chelsea had no good options when Victor Moses or Marcos Alonso were unavailable. The current transfer market is little better. Chelsea inexplicably retreated from Danilo over £3 million on his fee. If City secure Mendy, they will have beaten Chelsea to the top two wing-backs on the market.

Alex Sandro seems content at Juventus, although recent rumours indicated he could join Chelsea if the Blues send Nemanja Matic the other direction. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s name also swirls around. But his only experience at wing-back is with Arsenal’s imitation of Conte’s formation last season.

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In the weekend friendly, Cesc Fabregas caught Oxlade-Chamberlain many yards out of position on Chelsea’s left flank. A wide-open Marcos Alonso brought down Fabregas’s long diagonal pass. After a few touches he handily embarassed the sliding Oxlade-Chamberlain with a simple move before setting up Michy Batshuayi’s second goal.

With the added fixtures and enhanced level of play they will encounter in the Champions League, the Blues need the depth and competition that a starting XI calibre player can immediately provide.

"Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso were fantastic last season, but you need someone who’s going to challenge for the first-team spot. If Moses and Alonso are going to up their game, they need someone who can genuinely rival them for the team. Kenedy can play wing-back, but Moses and Alonso know that – starting out – Kenedy has no chance of starting above them. – Ajitesh Rasgotra, The Blue Lions"

Antonio Conte repeatedly experimented with Pedro at right wing-back. He lacked the positional discipline to simply be in the right place at the right time. When he did manage that task, he lacked the defensive skills necessary for the two-way role.

Cesar Azpilicueta was slightly better, but was as imbalanced as Pedro, just in the opposite direction. As the season progressed Azpilicueta pushed higher up the pitch. His offensive timing and movement improved, but he still does not have the crossing ability that a wing-back needs.

The club’s crisis PR over Kenedy is a distraction Chelsea do not need, on top of being the sort of notoriety Kenedy does not need. Chelsea are buying players at positions where they already have substantial depth among existing squad and youth players. Kenedy’s place next season is far from certain. His play against Arsenal and his extracurricular indiscretions have him thoroughly in the “not worth it” column.

Chelsea need a solution that may not be in the offing. Their sluggishness and stubbornness in the transfer market may leave Antonio Conte converting another player to wing-back, hoping he can reprise his success with Victor Moses.

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That will result in a player in Blue filling in the team sheet on the flank. But it will do nothing for real depth and competition at a role that Conte re-introduced to the Premier League last season, and that will be crucial to Chelsea’s success.