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.
Kai Havertz (No. ?) Central midfielder, Germany
The one everyone came to see, Havertz is most likely going to line up in Chelsea’s midfield. He can play on both wings and as a striker as well, but Lampard will surely want him more centrally to pull the strings throughout the side. He will probably be given plenty of license to roam so the line between a 4-3-3 with Havertz as an eight and a 4-2-3-1 with Havertz as a 10 may be very blurred and dependent on who lines up in midfield with him.
N’Golo Kante (No. 7) Central midfielder, France
A fit Kante will be needed to hold the front five and the back four together. Historically (an odd thing to say about a manager not yet in his third year), Lampard has his side play out of the back through the fullbacks rather than the deepest midfielder, so 1000 passes a game is not needed. Someone who can sweep up danger is needed and that is Kante’s forte. A deputy is still needed for Kante, but until then it will be his job alone.
Mason Mount (No. 19) Central midfielder, England OR Mateo Kovacic (No. 17) Central Midfielder
Most XI’s are coming down to this either or. Kovacic is easily the better player, but he is also a bit of an awkward player to fit into an XI. Mount was one of Lampard’s most used players last season, but he is still a bit of a diamond in the rough as he looks to develop his game. But if the opponent and their style is looked at, the choice between the two can become much clearer.
If Chelsea is expecting their opponent to sit off and dare the Blues to break them down, that is where Mount will come in. He is not really a playmaker on the ball, but his movement off the ball can create just as much danger. A 4-3-3 and rotations with Havertz and the wingers to open up space suits Mount, and he will be the first to lead the press to regain possession if it is lost.
Mateo Kovacic is arguably Chelsea’s most talented player overall, but his skill set is more about connecting others than putting on any finishing touches. If the opponent is expected to press and deny the Blues space, the back and forth tandem of Kovacic and Kante in a 4-2-3-1 is the way to go. It allows for the most press resistant pair while also being well suited to break into space.
Hakim Ziyech (No. ?) Right winger, Morocco
When Ziyech signed for Chelsea, no one knew he was only the tip of the ice berg and arguably the least exciting signing the Blues would make thus far this summer. Think about that. Ziyech is a play making machine and he is Chelsea’s least exciting signing of the summer. The Blues are building an empire again and Ziyech will do his part on the right wing to dominate the opposition.
Timo Werner (No. ?) Striker, Germany
When Werner signed for Chelsea, it looked as though the most likley outcome was that he would play alongside Tammy Abraham. Then Abraham’s form dipped off as Olivier Giroud and Christian Pulisic both entered a sustained period of incredible form. Now it looks as though Abraham will deputize Werner. Werner has more often than not shared striking duties, but with all the quality around him he should be fine leading the line alone.
Christian Pulisic (No. 22) Left winger, United States
Pulisic went from a player very similar to Willian and on Chelsea’s bench to the second coming of Eden Hazard throughout the course of the season. Lampard understood he had to ease Pulisic in after he played so much with Dortmund and the US leading up to the transfer, but once he did so, he challenged him to be even better. Pulisic has improved by leaps and bounds this season and is sure to be a key player next season as well.
How would you line up with Kai Havertz? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!