Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich wanted the club to become Barcelona in blue. What if Pep Guardiola had joined to do just that?
Even before Pep Guardiola became Barcelona manager, there was a sense Roman Abramovich wanted Chelsea to play a more attacking, expansive style. Guardiola’s success merely gave it a title: Barcelona in blue.
Chelsea has had a few false starts with that over the years but it always seemed the easiest way to make it happen would be to hire Guardiola himself. For the most part, it was only a rumor at the two closest junctions.
But what if Guardiola had signed for Chelsea after all. What would the current course of the club be? Would the blues be getting the praise of Manchester City or not?
First of all is the when. The first time Guardiola could have happened was after his sabbatical. The desire for a Jose Mourinho reunion made that unlikely. The second time was for the 2016/2017 season. Reality saw the Blues hire Antonio Conte after Guardiola chose the City project, but the Chelsea links were very much there.
To stand out from City, the Blues would have had to bend to Guardiola’s demands. The big one was that Chelsea would need 10 new players at a minimum to compete with the Spaniard. Seeing as how he spent two years at City burning through keepers, full backs, and center backs, that is more than a legitimate demand.
Taking over at Chelsea, Guardiola quickly gets about changing the squad into his image. Leicester’s Premier League win the previous season sees them raided of N’Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez as the Blues also bring in John Stones after their previous interest. Others from abroad are brought in to further strengthen the side.
The first season goes much the same as it does in reality for the Spaniard. Chelsea lacks the fullbacks and defenders to fully go into Guardiola’s style. The Spaniard adjusts around that and sees the Blues into third, but it was not the immediate success expected.
More signings are demanded, but the Blues are unable to spend at the same level as Manchester City. Chelsea is unable and perhaps unwilling to replace Cesar Azpilicueta on the right and cannot afford Alex Sandro on the left. Guardiola wants a new center mid, striker, winger, full back, and center back but the Blues can only afford to bargain buy for him or buy one elite player. Indecision causes Chelsea to do neither.
The Blues do improve that season, but only to second. Guardiola again demands big signings and in his third season he does manage to see a few more arrivals. The Blues narrowly scrap out the Premier League title in the Spaniards third season when the transfer ban hits. Frustrated by his tenure at the Blues, Guardiola does as Guardiola does after a few years and departs for another club. Frank Lampard succeeds a very different looking Chelsea side for the 2019/2020 season.
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