Chelsea will be just fine without a world class centerback this summer

While fans are calling for a world class centerback signing, Chelsea will be just fine with what it has as long as the Blues make the right call.

Chelsea conceded a whopping 54 goals in the Premier League last season under Frank Lampard. While it comes as no surprise there were issues at the back, the club is now tasked with plugging those holes and stopping the bleeding. Many are calling for a world class centerback signing—in line with the Blues’ other top tier transactions—but Chelsea will be just fine without one.

Instead of investing in a world class centerback at this time, the Blues should explore other options and add depth to its centerback ranks—which must change. The most important decision Lampard and his staff need to make is whether or not to keep Ethan Ampadu around for next season or send him out on loan again. If the young Welsh defender remains at Stamford Bridge, there will be no need to splurge on an elite central defender.

Ampadu has already expressed his desire to stay and fight for his place, a welcome sign after spending a majority of last season on RB Leipzig’s bench. While the sample size was small, the 19-year-old looked comfortable playing in one of Europe’s best sides on the biggest stages. His performance against Spurs in the Champions League earned worldwide praise and Chelsea shouldn’t overlook this.

Ampadu was rated highly by Antonio Conte and Lampard has already taken a liking, as well. After a failed loan move last season set his career back, now is the time to right the wrongs done by Maurizio Sarri. The purchasing of a world class central defender could further prevent Ampadu’s growth. He’s good enough to be mentioned in the same light as Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Mohamed Salah, should he slip through the cracks at Chelsea, so Lampard should do everything in his power to prevent that hypothetical from becoming reality.

With Fikayo Tomori likely heading out on loan, Ampadu could fit in as one of the four centerbacks on the roster. However, simply keeping Ampadu is not enough to fix the defensive flaws; it’s merely slapping a band-aid on a gunshot wound.

In order to stabilize the defense, some other changes will need to be made. Of course, the left back position is one of major concern, but one that is being addressed. Emerson’s time in west London is all but up with the Blues moving for Lampard’s No. 1 fullback choice in Ben Chilwell. Getting one of the top rated left backs in Europe will certainly alleviate the pain, but even more needs to be done.

In addition to sending out Tomori on loan, Chelsea needs to offload either Antonio Rudiger or Andreas Christensen. Given the latter’s value, ideal age and abundance of experience, the Dane is the more likely of the two to be sold. Further, it’d be quite cruel to sell Rudiger after all he’s done for the club this offseason on the recruiting front. At this point, you know what you’re getting with Christensen after three managers in as many years failed to show much confidence in him. The 24-year-old has been as inconsistent as they come ever since that infamous error against Barcelona.

Therefore, when the Blues sell either Christensen or Rudiger, they should replace them with the likes of John Stones, Lewis Dunk or another centerback of the sorts. In other words, a solid central defender who won’t break the bank, but has some upside compared to their predecessor. Lampard has a lot of talent in his current central defense, so keeping Kurt Zouma and one other center half is important. Of course, none of this is touching on the glaring need for a new goalkeeper, either.

If the Blues can head into next season with a defense consisting of Chilwell, Zouma, Ampadu, Cesar Azpilicueta/Reece James and a new goalkeeper—with Rudiger, Stones/Dunk and Alonso on the bench—it’s hard to see a scenario in which the Blues wouldn’t improve at the back. Obviously, a world class centerback is welcomed after the woeful defensive record of Lampard’s side last season, but one may not be necessary.

What do you think Chelsea should do to realistically fix the defense? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!