Chelsea has completed the signing of Kai Havertz. How will the German wonder kids string things together and where will he fit best?
It all came a bit out of nowhere before exploding into possibility, but Chelsea has finally signed Kai Havertz. The multifaceted German wonder kid can play in multiple positions and seems set to become one of the stars of the game for the next decade. He sticks an exlampation point on a summer that already included Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech, Thiago Silva, and Ben Chilwell with more rumored to be on the way. The only question is how will Frank Lampard line up with Havertz and the other new additions.
Kepa Arrizabalaga (No. 1) Goalkeeper, Spain
As this is only considering players Chelsea currently has, Kepa Arrizabalaga finds his way into the lineup. After this season, he is lucky to have his name included over Willy Caballero. It would be incredibly surprising to see Chelsea go with Arrizabalaga between the sticks next season. He may still be around, but surely the Blues find someone to “compete” with him or outright replace him. Edouard Mendy is most strongly linked, but nothing has moved on that front.
Cesar Azpilicueta (No. 28) Right back, Spain
It is entirely possible (and likely) that Reece James edges the captain out by the end of the season but when the season begins, it should be the Spaniard. The simple reason is consistency. Azpilicueta is a poster board for it. James still has those lapses in concentration that come from knowing he is good, but also over estimating how he can deal with something. The two will trade off time, but Azpilcueta will get the majority of it.
Kurt Zouma (No. 15) Centerback, France
There were questions asked about Zouma before the season began, but slowly and surely he earned his starting spot. He continued to build on that to become Chelsea’s best center back, if not the best defender. He is not perfect, but the right partner could help bring him to an entirely new level next season.
Thiago Silva (No. ?), Centerback, Brazil
Ideally, Silva will be that “right partner”. The Brazilian centerback brings a wealth of experience to the back line after helping Paris Saint-Germain reach the Champions League final. There may be questions about how he adapts to life in the Premier Leauge, but Zouma should offer a good foil to him and Silva should improve the defense as a whole in possession and out of possession.
Ben Chilwell (No. ?) Left back, England
In Chilwell, Frank Lampard’s side has gotten nearly the ideal fullback for the task at hand. Lampard is very much a manager that uses “modern fullbacks” which is basically just to say the fullbacks need to be what box to box midfielders used to be. Chilwell can help in attack both directly and as a point of possession, and he can also press the opponent while getting back into a defensive shape quickly. He can do all that is required and has plenty of room to grow.