Chelsea needs to hit the market hard to become Champions League ready

Chelsea has qualified for the Champions League. If the ban is delayed or removed, there is much work to be done to become Champions League ready.

Chelsea has qualified for the Champions League as they have stumbled less than Arsenal and Manchester United. That should not be seen as a massive achievement when the squad is compared to Arsenal’s or United’s, but it is nice nonetheless.

Still, the current squad cannot cope with Champions League football as things stand. Sure, Chelsea is in the Europa League semifinals but the hardest opponent they have had yet is Eintracht Frankfurt. Frankfurt has had a much harder route to the same semifinal and could also end up in the Champions League next season. That shows the Blues need reinforcements if they are to cope with the heightened quality of European opponents.

There are few players who will remain in the current best XI no matter what. Kepa Arrizabalaga, Antonio Rudiger, Jorginho, and N’Golo Kante can all feel pretty safe considering their contracts and stature at the club. If Eden Hazard somehow opts to stay, he would join that group as well.

Then there are the needs that Chelsea cannot escape from. The Blues need a new left back. Neither Emerson nor Marcos Alonso are up to snuff often enough to keep as a starter. Who stays as the backup is largely academic.

The Blues must also buy a truly world class striker. Since Diego Costa, they have either made short term decisions (which also bridged Didier Drogba to Costa) or poorly informed ones (such as Alvaro Morata). The Blues need someone young and who is already banging goals in week in and week out as a starter. It will cost a premium but so will all the players Chelsea needs.

After that is strengthening areas that would be more wants than needs. These are roles Chelsea can survive with on current personnel and should only reinforce if the price is right.

At the back would be a new right back and center back. Cesar Azpilicueta and Andreas Christensen are both fantastic players and should not be easily dismissed. But Azpilicueta is getting older and it is hard to tell how far Reece James is behind him. As for Christensen, he is still young, but if a truly world class option is on the table, it would not hurt to have that player in rotation with Christensen and Rudiger.

Farther up field is a new left winger. Callum Hudson-Odoi is full of promise even with his injury. But it is hard to tell how much potential a young player has and how quickly they can peak. Again, if the right player is available, it would not hurt to bring them into the rotation.

Any signings after that would have to be a truly perfect deal. A unicorn of a signing. Rudiger and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have earned their starting spots for years to come. Christian Pulisic will surely come in and be trusted on the right wing. But if a truly cream of the crop player is available and keen, the Blues should not say no. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Juventus, and Manchester City did not get where they are by refusing to stack their 18 to the brim.

Left back and striker are nonnegotiable. After that, strengthening right back, center back, and the wing would be nice but only if it makes a lot of sense and the price is right. Finally,  the luxury buys where Chelsea is already very strong, but it would be hard to say no to the right player.

Chelsea will need to become a stronger squad to compete on the Champions League front. The path is clear regardless of who takes charge of the campaign. The only question is whether the board will make the necessary purchases before the supplementary ones.