Chelsea: Defensive transfers have gone from “want” to “need” to “critical”
By Hugo Amaya
The transfer ban has been lifted and Chelsea have money to spend and options on where to spend it. But they need to avoid throwing away money on offensive players when they so desperately need to strengthen the defense.
The clumsy loss against Everton showed just how far from perfect this Chelsea team is, and how many wrinkles still need to be ironed. With the transfer ban no more, the main topic of conversation is which players should the club buy to improve the team. Almost halfway through the season, Chelsea cannot fritter their efforts or money on new forwards.
Chelsea need a stronger defense, starting with a new left-back as soon as possible. Both Emerson and Marcos Alonso have failed to impress Frank Lampard: the former by not being able to cover spaces properly and leaving his position wide open every single game, the latter by being to slow and lacking some basic defensive skills.
Regardless of the preference, one of Emerson or Alonso should go, and Chelsea should bring in a world class left-back. This will allow Chelsea to stabilize their movement.
The Blues are especially vulnerable when the opposition counter attack. The full-backs are often exposed because they are too far up and cannot get back in time, or they have no idea what to do in a tight situation. This exposes the center-backs to all threats, leaving them with the option to stand still or commit a foul. Either way, it is a losing situation and it needs to be fixed as soon as possible.
Needless to say, Lampard should be more conservative with his defensive strategies and buying a better left-back will help him do just that.
Chelsea also need a commanding force at center-back. While the current players occupying the position are decent, they lack discipline and back bone. It is time for one to go.
Fikayo Tomori should be exempt from this list since he has proven to be rock-solid and with a bright future ahead of him, or at least brighter than the rest.
However, Kurt Zouma, Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger should be put to the test. It sounds ruthless, but the needs of the team are more important than any emotions anyone may have towards these players. This can also leave one of the mentioned in the bench for indefinite amount of time. But, it will spark the competition that makes players improve.
Breaking the bank on any attacking players is a waste of money and time. Chelsea can sell Willian and Pedro and get a decent amount of cash, thus allowing the club to spend even more on their replacements. But at the moment, if Chelsea want to win anything this season, the team needs consistency and maturity.
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Bringing in a young player like Jadon Sancho – for a record-breaking fee, no less – will break the dynamic of the team. First, he will need time to adjust to the Premier League and the team, a luxury that no one has. Second, he will be under a lot of pressure, making the adjustment process even more difficult. Third, if he isn’t the superstar everyone thought he was, Chelsea might as well throw the season away, along with Frank Lampard’s time at Chelsea.
Chelsea haven’t been losing games because they can’t score, they have been losing because they can’t defend. Tammy Abraham, Christian Pulisic and Mason Mount have proven to be the real deal by leading the team.
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At this point of the season, the board needs to prioritize the immediate needs of the current squad which will lead to success both this season and in the near future. That starts at the back, not with a splash up top.