Much has been made of the weaknesses in the current Chelsea squad. Despite strong and repetitive rumors, Maurizio Sarri is ready for the current squad.
The 2017/2018 season was a failure. Coming off a season like that, most clubs look to strengthen their weak spots, move some deadwood on, and start again the next season. Chelsea does not fit into that category.
With Maurizio Sarri at the helm, the Blues have been linked mostly to players they do not need. Jorginho is the only player to have joined so far, and he was one of the “needs” Chelsea did not have until Sarri signed.
The first preseason game, because of the World Cup players being away, was a show case of Chelsea’s depth, deadwood, and youth. All things considered, it went exceedingly well. And though there are still some questions to be answered, Sarri appears content to start the season with the team he has at his disposal.
The Callum Hudson-Odoi extension news is perhaps the biggest indicator of that. If Hudson-Odoi becomes a Chelsea fixture, this tale will go down in Blues legend (ignoring the fact that Gianfranco Zola supposedly had to talk Sarri into it, and ignoring the fact that this was likely in the works anyways). Why does Chelsea not need winger depth? Because Sarri is going to hand the spot to Hudson-Odoi.
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Even the touch and go situations of Willian and Thibaut Courtois fail to faze Sarri. He believes both will stay and he is unworried about their shadiness or want away notions. Sarri has not even met them in person and he is okay with entering a season with the players.
This meshes with Sarri’s boredom in the transfer market. It also makes a lot of sense. Sarri would only have been an outside observer beforehand. Now he is seeing exactly what he has before going out and supplementing unnecessarily.
That does not mean Sarri does not want the likes of Gonzalo Higuain or Daniele Rugani at Chelsea. It simply means he will not be upset if it does not happen.
Though it was only Perth, that match showed why Sarri feels comfortable. With barely any training time and with only a patchwork of players, the squad was able to play something Sarriball like. It was not perfect, but it was miles ahead of where they could have been. The dead weight players suddenly looked reborn and almost all universally showed they deserved another chance at Chelsea.
Chelsea does not need a squad of world class stars at the moment. The current squad is more than adequate for the Europa League and fans should not be expecting to win the Premier League next season. Sarri will have time to introduce new players alongside his system. He can test what works and what does not. And if there is a glaring hole, it can be addressed more directly after Sarri sees what he has available.
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There is likely to be changes yet, of course, but they will be minimal. One in, one out until the window shuts. Sarri is content and the Blues appear content with the current roster.