Chelsea transfer ban plan, Part 5: Goalkeepers and centerbacks
By Tan Yi Hao
Chelsea may have to face a ban this summer if their appeal fails. Which goalkeepers and defenders should make the roster?
On the roster: Kepa Arrizabalaga, Willy Caballero, Robert Green, Andreas Christensen, Kurt Zouma, Antonio Rudiger, Ethan Ampadu, Fikayo Tomori
Goalkeeping Department
With the arrival of the £71 million Kepa Arrizabalaga in the summer of 2018, the goalkeeping department at Chelsea looks set for years to come. Although the Spaniard has not been all that outstanding this season (especially when compared to the heroics of a certain Brazilian shot stopper somewhere else in England) he has been solid when called into action.
More specifically, his distribution has been an absolute joy to watch. With 19 clean sheets in 41 appearances for the club this term so far, he is the definition of a modern day goalkeeper who is great with both his hands and feet and would undoubtedly prove to be a worthy acquisition in time to come.
Likewise, Willy Caballero and Rob Green are both reliable backup keepers with more than half a century worth of goalkeeping experience between them. They are valuable assets to have at the club in terms of providing much needed guidance for the still-developing Arrizabalaga as well as future young and upcoming keepers.
With that, Chelsea’s goalkeeping department should be able to weather through the two-window transfer ban should it be imposed and would prove to be of little concern for both the club and its fans.
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Center back department
In center back, the starting combination should be Kurt Zouma and Andreas Christensen. This is a perfect balance of guile as well as sturdiness at the heart of the Chelsea defense, which is in clear need of a complete overhaul.
On one hand, the Blues have the tough tackling Zouma who is having an outstanding season with an under performing Everton side. This season, Zouma has been averaging 1.4 interceptions and 3.8 clearances per 90, which far exceeds Rudiger’s 1.0 and 2.9 and Christensen’s 1.0 and 3.0, respectively.
Statistics and data aside, that a short term loanee is able to keep out a £30 million pound signing in the form of Eyry Mina is an absolute vindication of Zouma’s quality. Moreover, Zouma’s recent call up into the French national side ahead of Aymeric Laporte is a solid validation of just how far he has come since his unfortunate injury back in 2015 and a sign of his return to the very top of European football.
On the other, the Blues have the intelligent and composed Andreas Christensen who has been equally splendid this season when he has been given the opportunity to play. While he certainly cannot pass as well as a David Luiz, his passing accuracy of 94.5% is still quite remarkable, albeit against lesser opponents in the Europa League.
More importantly, however, Christensen’s composure is something which Chelsea’s defense has been sorely lacking this season. His presence on the pitch this season has resulted in more clean sheets than with any other defender on the pitch and at 22, has to be the future of this club.
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On the bench, the defensive duo of Rudiger and the up-and-coming Fikayo Tomori should provide enough youth and experience for the team. Ampadu could similarly be called in to play at center half, although his imposing performances for Wales at the center of the park certainly suggest a far greater use for him in the Chelsea midfield.