The Pride of London
Fansided

The famous 10: Chelsea’s seven options to inherit Willian’s number

By Travis Tyler

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 14: Willian shakes hands with Frank Lampard, Manager of Chelsea after victory during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Norwich City at Stamford Bridge on July 14, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 14: Willian shakes hands with Frank Lampard, Manager of Chelsea after victory during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Norwich City at Stamford Bridge on July 14, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 3
Next
chelsea, frank lampard
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 22: Frank Lampard, Manager of Chelsea looks on during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC at Stamford Bridge on September 22, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) /

6. A yet unsigned player

There has been a pretty common trend in recent years to save the big shirt numbers (such as nine and 10) for big signings. That obviously does not always sync up but when it does, clubs are unafraid to pass along such a prestigious number to a brand new, expensive player.

It could very much be the case that the Blues will hold off on passing off the 10 until there is a clear super star joining this summer. Everyone knows exactly who that player might be: the German wunderkind Kai Havertz.

Havertz is believed to be the future of the German game and regardless of where he would line up for Chelsea, he will be both a starter and the key man on the pitch. Handing him the 10 would be the appropriate sign that he is “the man” that the Blues are building around and it would hardly be untrue. If Chelsea manages to complete the signing, there would and should be strong calls to give the famous number to the new guy.

7. Leave it vacant for a season

As always, the cop out answer. Why does the club have to pass the 10 off? The eight stayed vacant until Ross Barkley took it. John Terry’s number 26 and Gianfranco Zola’s 25 have remained vacant since the players left (and should be officially retired instead of de facto retired). Sometimes it is okay to leave something open and see who fights to earn it.

The 10 is the star of the show no matter what team they play for. It is not a number handed out to any player; it is handed out to the player of players. That person has to clearly stand above the rest and if Chelsea does not see anyone worthy of that yet, nothing says they have to rush in and pass the number off right away. Next season it could remain vacant and the players in contention can play their way in or out of the famous number.

Next. Chelsea: Oblak would make the Blues instant title contenders. dark

Who do you think should wear the 10 next season? Let us know in the comments and on Twitter!

Home/Chelsea FC News