Chelsea should sign Kai Havertz, but Declan Rice is the real missing link

Chelsea is looking at a generational talent in Kai Havertz, but the signing of Declan Rice could be more impactful in the long run for the Blues.

Chelsea should 100 percent sign Kai Havertz. When a player like that is available, every big club should go out and sign them and figure out how it works later. With Chelsea being pretty much the only club capable at the moment, there is no excuse for them not to put that deal over the line.

That being said, it is not exactly a position of great need for the Blues. Chelsea has Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic, Ross Barkley, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Billy Gilmour, and Hakim Ziyech who all play in similar positions as Havertz. Of course, the German is better than all of them, but the Blues are not hurting to fill that hole.

A hole they are hurting to fill is defensive midfield. Other than N’Golo Kante, Chelsea really does not have a player that can be trusted to shield the defense. Beyond that, the defense itself is a cluster half the time and an open wound the rest of the time. That is why, if both were to sign, Declan Rice would be more impactful in the long run for Chelsea than Havertz.

Think back to Chelsea in 2013/2014. Jose Mourinho had returned to the club and he was supported by the board on the attacking front. The club brought in Andre Schurrle, Willian, and Samuel Eto’o in the summer. Winter saw Mohammed Salah sign. But none of those addressed an issue where the Blues were clearly deficient: defensive midfield.

Chelsea had largely been using a 4-2-3-1 that season with Ramires and Frank Lampard in the pivot, with John Obi Mikel occasional featuring. The former two are very much not defensive midfielders and while Mikel was, he was not on the level Chelsea required. That is why the signing of Nemanja Matic was so impactful for the club at the time. He shored up the midfield and allowed the future signing of Cesc Fabregas to flourish and bring the Blues a title.

Even after that, in Antonio Conte’s 3-4-3, Matic was key in allowing N’Golo Kante the freedom to sniff out danger and destroy it. Much can be said about whether or not Kante is a “true” defensive midfielder, but he did play at his best with a defensive midfielder alongside him.

That is where Rice comes in. The Blues are clearly focusing on attack for next season, which will leave the midfield exposed to counters. That has already happened this season. Without a player in the middle to sniff out danger, the back line is left wide open to attack. That is where Rice, like Matic before, would come in and shore things up.

Most rumors point towards Rice coming in to play as a centerback. That is also a position of need, but it would be a poor use of Rice’s skillset. He has played most of his games recently as a midfielder and it is those performances that are attracting Chelsea.

Furthermore, as a defensive mid, with two centerbacks behind him, Rice can blur the line between his positioning. If Chelsea needed a 4-3-3, he could remain in midfield. If a 3-4-3 was needed, he could drop in and do his work in a deeper area. That is the type of flexibility Lampard uses game to game but it is hard to do so in matches without substitutes.

With Chelsea signing so many aggressive attackers, the Blues will need to shore up midfield defensively too or be left wide open. Rice accomplishes those things if played in midfield. Havertz would be an amazing addition, but Rice has the potential to be far more impactful for the Blues in the long run. Regardless, the Blues should go ahead and fork out the cash for both to bring themselves into the title race next season.