Tactics and Transfers: Chelsea kick off the transfer market

Chelsea FC completed one of the quickest and most shocking moves of the summer by (presumably) signing in demand Timo Werner before the window even opened.

For years, I have suggested in this column that Chelsea needed to be more proactive in their approach to the summer transfer window. It seemed that in an attempt to balance the books, the club had forgotten that different players may have different qualities on the pitch and that very fact might in fact matter to the managers at the helm.

Despite the fact that Coronavirus has wreaked havoc on the world of football finance, it appears Chelsea have managed to get their bearings faster than the majority of their rivals and in doing so have now completed two deals before the transfer window has even opened. The additions of Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech already dramatically improve Chelsea’s chances at chasing the title next season and show the sort of ambition that the team has decidedly lacked for some time.

It was not long ago that Chelsea supporters were forced to wonder if the Blues were still the same ruthlessly efficient, title chasing monster that they were before or if they had transformed into an Aqua Arsenal. What we know now is that the Blues are capitalizing on their superior financial planning to put Frank Lampard in the best possible position to compete at the top of the table next season.

Timo Werner is very possibly the most in demand young striker in Europe. Adding him to the side immediately moves Chelsea further up the table. If there is one thing that Chelsea lacked this past season, it was ruthlessness in front of goal. With Werner that is very different. He is already almost at 30 goals for the season and it has been quite some time since Chelsea had a player of that level.

What makes him even more fascinating is that he is a completely different player to Tammy Abraham and will be able to both pressure and support the young English striker. One of the things that people seem to be worried about with Abraham is his finishing. Given the fact that it has only been one season in the top flight for him, that is not something that I feel as concerned with. The fact that finishing also comes with time, patience and comfort seem to be lost on people. That said having as ruthlessly efficient a player as Werner around serves to only support Abraham in multiple ways. Seeing Werner practice at the training ground will be one thing, but even more importantly, the competitive spark that it will hopefully get going in Abraham is another.

The team seemed to languish in its comfort level at times last season. Everyone was just too pleased with all the plaudits they were getting even though they were in all fairness terrible at times. Though it was a friendly and pleasant world, it was not a reality. At Chelsea Football Club, mediocrity cannot be allowed and the new young players need to see just how much things can change and just how quickly too.

Two genuinely world class players coming in before the transfer window has even opened is a tremendous statement of ambition by Chelsea and a wonderful thing to see. The Blues still have a great deal of work to do and to rest on their laurels now would be to waste all that they have done so far. That said, if they can continue to recruit with such ruthless efficiency at the very top of the talent pool, the Blues will be building the sort of world class squad that Blues supporters have become used to very soon.

As soon as Chelsea announced that they were in final negotiations for Werner, it appears all the other major sides in Europe started making their moves too. Chelsea did the smart thing by getting into the market once they had done their due diligence and assessed it. If possible, it is always best to make the necessary signings during the first few weeks of the summer. That way, the new players have time to bed into the squad with a full preseason.

It appears that for the first time in a long time, things are going as smoothly as possible at Chelsea and that is a wonderful thing to see.