Tactics and Transfers: Last chance saloon for Chelsea

Chelsea is coming into a very active and important part of the transfer window that could have ramifications for years to come.

First thing first, readers: this may be the last time that we’re able to chat for a while. Though it has been a pleasure to write to and for you the past several years, I may be forced to stop because of the powers that be. Whether or not that forces me to take “Tactics and Transfers” elsewhere, I do not know. I’d rather not and I’m sure you’d rather stay with The Pride of London, as well. That said, I thought it best to let you know in advance that things are unclear right now.

That aside let’s get into it, shall we?

For some reason, people seem to be against Chelsea signing Thiago Silva—that’s thick. Chelsea should bring in Silva so that the club can sign Kai Havertz and Ben Chilwell afterwards.

Of the available centrebacks on the market this summer, try and think of a single one that’s worth the amount of money being asked for them. Do any names come to mind? 29-year-old Kalidou Koulibaly on the back of a non-spectacular season, Gimenez and his ticker-tape of an injury record? Come on; it’s very simple.

If the Blues want to improve the positions that they are interested in with the level of players they want to pursue, spending first class money on economy individuals isn’t a type of deal they want to be involved in. Couple that with the fact that next season the best of the young centrebacks in Europe will be available for just €45 million, and it becomes obvious that this is a fine idea.

I’ve suggested Chelsea sign Silva before and it’s a good thing that the club appears to be doing it now. I wonder how Willian will feel about having chosen the riches at Arsenal now that the former PSG and Brazil captain could very well end up at Stamford Bridge.

The truth is simple: Chelsea’s defence will already be improved when Chilwell arrives. Having a left flank that isn’t an open and inviting door will already make massive changes in that department. Secondly, the Blues haven’t actually sorted out the futures of any of the four centrebacks they already have on their books—all of whom have displayed some sort of potential and equal amounts of idiocy. Meanwhile, the best youth defender that Chelsea has will be returning to the club and is going to be fighting for his place as well.

This is the situation you’d like to complicate by spending a great deal of money on? Cool, I hope the rest of your judgment—for your own sake—isn’t of equal measure or God help us.

The only thing that the defence honestly needs for at least this one season is a teacher. This season, time and time again, it was observed that the back line lacked composure, it lacked experience, it lacked the know-how. Is there a single one of those things that Silva doesn’t contribute? No.

In fact the best part of this situation is Silva’s age.

He shouldn’t play more than 20 matches. Hopefully, Ethan Ampadu and Fikayo Tomori follow him around the training ground and analyze footage with him. Hopefully, they watch how he laces up his boots and how he manages to combine silk with the dark arts in peerless fashion outside of Sergio Ramos. Hopefully, after two years, Chelsea has its own Welsh and English versions frankly.

That, combined with his supplementing Kurt Zouma, Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Tomori, while Frank Lampard tries to figure out which—if any—of them is even a decent player, will be a good thing. Chelsea’s defensive issue isn’t one that should be taken lightly. This could be described as slight hyperbole, sarcasm or the complete and honest truth, but every single time Chelsea concedes a goal I am so nauseous I can barely contain myself.

That said, acting as if FFP is simply fully over because Manchester City managed to do whatever it is it did to get out of its punishment would be foolish. Chelsea’s budget is going to be limited and yes, while some deals are available this summer, that doesn’t mean that all of a sudden money has no value to the club. A free signing who can give the team about 20 matches and improve each of the players that he is playing around will be a good thing.

The Blues need experience and not more youth at the moment anyway. A blend is what makes a successful team. Too many young players and you just have games thrown away, nights out on the town and lads who used to be youngsters with potential. Let’s not pretend there hasn’t been a few inklings of that waywardness at times already this season. They have a good coaching staff, but they need people to learn from—Silva is that necessary mentor.

Besides, it’s a free signing. Why wouldn’t Chelsea do this? It’s just good business. The Blues lose literally nothing in this scenario. Silva has a year or so more in the tank, he’s a player the youth players learn from and are all improved simply by his presence. Secondly, he decided to retire in England and not Miami, the youth players get more appearances out of this while still receiving his guidance.

Either way, Chelsea didn’t have to spend any money to bring in a player who is good for the side. This is the real world, Chelsea isn’t going to be spending €80 million on every single player all the time. The Blues need to be smart and this is a sign that they are. Combining luxurious purchases with frugal and tactical signings is intelligent; it’s what Bayern Munich does, it’s what Juventus does and it’s what Chelsea should be doing.

If it doesn’t work out, Chelsea can smash the fire alarm glass on Dayot Upamecano’s release clause next July. Don’t lose patience in the rebuild; the defence is and was always going to be the most difficult and weird part of this. There’s a decent chance that when this season is over, Chelsea is built on a defence led by Fikayo Tomori and Ethan Ampadu—supplemented and taught by Silva. There’s also a good possibility Tomori gets a good loan in—in which case Silva can mentor Ampadu alone—and maybe Kurt Zouma does become Marcel Desailly, as was always the real hope. That would be a good thing and a move in the right direction, but the Blues still need to take their time to get there.

One summer was never going to fix the Blues. This year was a success because Chelsea played it smart. The club was patient and developed youth players, but also supplemented them with the experience of Olivier Giroud, Marcos Alonso, Mateo Kovavic, N’Golo Kante and Willian when necessary. Now, the Blues are adding key talent in other areas. Spending more on a player doesn’t make them a better player simply because you’d like them to be, no matter what Real Madrid or Barcelona would try and tell you.

Chelsea should sign Silva and Malang Sarr on frees if they can. The Blues should then loan Sarr out to someone in the Premier League immediately for two seasons and watch as the left-footed centerback progresses. They should do the same with Jake Clarke-Salter (also left-footed, if you didn’t know), hopefully to Burnley. Tomori going to Rennes would be a good deal and an even better one if Chelsea made it a supplemental one to sweeten a buy and loan-back for Eduardo Camavinga. €35 million for the French midfielder and heir apparent to Kante with Tomori on an equal loan deal suddenly makes things very interesting. I’d even up that to a two-year loan for both of them. Rennes is in the Champions League and they’d both get that experience, as well as develop the bond necessary between defensive midfield and centreback, to come into Chelsea’s starting XI immediately.

While that’s happening, Ampadu can learn from Silva while Chelsea tries to see if any of Rudiger, Zouma or Christensen grabs a hold of the other centreback position. They’ll put them in the shop window at the bare minimum if not. Though the Blues just simply need more time to assess. It looks like Zouma is the one to keep at the moment; he and Silva/Rudiger as a combination with another 25 appearances or more for Ampadu suddenly seems tip-top.

If that literally all goes south, at least Chelsea can bring in Upamecano to hold down a slot beside either Silva in year two or Ampadu, who could suddenly be gaining momentum.  But if not then the defence has been solidified and it welcomes back the loan options from year two in a suddenly far more fortuitous situation and the club still barely spent any money at all.

That’s the right way to do business. Casually throwing about €100’s of millions in fees and salaries to players who aren’t worth it as if we’re not in the middle of a global economic and health pandemic is not. People need to get their heads screwed on straight there. Chelsea has been too smart and come too far to throw away a bunch of money doing something impatient and impulsive.

This piece was, as usual, written by Barrett Rouen. Due to issues beyond our control, the article had to be published under The Pride of London staff account.