Chelsea: Oblak would make the Blues instant title contenders
If Chelsea were to bring in Jan Oblak on a world record fee for a goalkeeper, the Blues would have to be title contenders next season.
Chelsea fans have heard ever since the signing of Hakim Ziyech back in February that this transfer window was going to shake the club to its core. The young group that logged over 15,000 minutes this season is turning into one of the world’s most exciting. However, the addition of some superstars will force Frank Lampard’s hand and speed up the club’s current blueprint for the future.
Lampard has established a three-year plan to rebuild Chelsea from the ground up as the gaffer looks to take the team to new heights. The Blues haven’t seriously competed in the Champions League since 2013, the last time they advanced past the round of 16, and have finished miles back of the Premier League the last three seasons. All of that being said, signing Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak would accelerate Lampard’s ideas and put the team into “win now” mode.
Although Oblak is said to be mulling over a move to west London, there is only one way in which the Blues would ever complete the transfer and that’s by paying the goalkeeper’s buy-out clause. The clause sits at £110 million with the Spanish giants adamant the Slovenian is not for sale unless a side pays the full buy-out. A move this big between the sticks—especially just two years after the world record transfer of Kepa Arrizabalaga—would signify a big shift in the club’s mentality.
As things stand, the Blues are aiming to compete for domestic competitions and the Champions League in two years’ time. However, smashing the world record fee for a keeper for a second time in three years would display something different. Buying Oblak would show Chelsea’s desire to win as soon as possible, throwing the so-called three-year plan out of the window.
It may sound like a bad idea, or like Lampard is under pressure from the club’s hierarchy to win now, but that’s hardly the case. Since putting the three-year plan into effect multiple events have changed the landscape of Chelsea Football Club.
First and foremost, the youth movement shifted gears and took flight. Players like Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham, Christian Pulisic and Reece James led the Blues to an overachieving season. These youngsters were far more competitive than a majority of supporters and pundits alike thought they’d be—finishing fourth in the Premier League, making the Champions League knockout stages and an FA Cup final. This young nucleus has created a core that could dominate England for years to come, accelerating the process and elevating the Blues to new heights as time goes on.
Another thing speeding up the Blues’ plans for the future is the unique summer transfer market. Due to the economic impact of COVID-19, many teams are forced to sell as opposed to buy. Chelsea is one of the only sides in the world in a position to meet the demands of some of Europe’s finest talents; as proven by its uncontested pursuits of Timo Werner and Kai Havertz. A roster overhaul is coming, the only question is: where will the line in the sand be drawn?
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Thus far, the Blues’ incoming transfers are seen as building blocks to complement the side’s young center. Buying Oblak—one of the world’s premier goalkeepers—for over £100 million would show competitors that Chelsea is in a position to compete now as opposed to waiting another season or two.