Chelsea has its fair share of stars, but who are some of the talented players the Blues will face in the Champions League?
This season’s Champions League campaign will be one of great expectations for Chelsea. After spending around $270 million on transfers this summer, the Blues will look to finish at the top of their group, and will probably feel pretty confident about doing so considering who their opponents are.
Chelsea was drawn against Sevilla from Spain, Krasnodar from Russia and Rennes from France. Apart from Sevilla, last year’s Europa League champions, these names don’t exactly strike fear into the hearts of supporters. Neither Krasnodar nor Rennes have a great deal of European experience, so Lampard and his boys should advance to the knockout stage.
While Blues supporters will obviously be rooting against the opposition, the Champions League is always a great time to scout talented players from lesser known foreign leagues. Most Chelsea fans will remember Mohamed Salah’s fantastic performance for FC Basel in the 2013/14 UCL that prompted Jose Mourinho to buy the Egyptian playmaker. This season’s European campaign promises to again highlight a number of fantastic players, so here are three to keep an eye on:
Joules Kounde (Sevilla)
Kounde was a name making its way around the transfer mill over the summer after an incredibly impressive 2019/20 campaign with Sevilla. The 21-year-old Frenchman formed a strong defensive partnership with Diego Carlos that played a huge role in Los Palanganas’ fourth place La Liga finish and their run to the Europa League title.
Because he is still young, Kounde has room to improve in his defensive abilities. He struggles to read the game at times and can be exposed with a well-played pass into space, but he can almost always make up for it with his pace. Kounde is one of the fastest young centerbacks in world football, making him a hot commodity on the transfer market.
More from Champions League
- Chelsea 0-2 Real Madrid: 3 Blues positives and negatives
- Chelsea vs Real Madrid: 3 Blancos the Blues must stop
- Why you can’t count out Chelsea in the UCL against Real Madrid just yet
- Real Madrid 2-0 Chelsea: 3 Positives and 3 negatives
- Real Madrid 2-0 Chelsea: 3 lessons learned in UCL quarterfinal loss
He was rumored with a move to Manchester City as the window was closing, but Pep Guardiola opted to sign Ruben Dias instead, forcing Kounde to spend at least another few months in Spain. The turbulent beginning to this season has shown that Chelsea still has room to improve in defense, so don’t be surprised to see Roman Abramovic open his pocket books again next summer if Kounde is still available.
Wanderson (Krasnodar)
Generally, not many Chelsea supporters follow the Russian Premier League closely (I know I don’t), so most probably won’t have heard of Wanderson. The skillful Brazilian has made a name for himself as one of the best dribblers in Russia, wreaking havoc up and down the right flank for Krasnodar.
Wanderson’s production wasn’t tremendous last season, scoring three goals and assisting two more in 21 RPL matches, but he is still one of the most exciting players to watch in European football. If Chelsea is looking for a cut-price option to add depth on the wing, the 26-year-old is certainly a fantastic shout.
Eduardo Camavinga (Rennes)
Arguably the most coveted young player in world football right now, Camavinga will be a pleasure to watch when Rennes face Chelsea for the first time in the UCL on November 4. After scoring an overhead worldie in his France debut against Ukraine on Wednesday, the 17-year-old is no longer a hidden gem and has stepped into international stardom.
Called the next N’Golo Kante, Camavinga is already a complete midfielder at such a young age. Although he generally prefers to sit deep as a CDM, he can carry the ball forward effectively and apparently, score incredible goals as well. His best trait, though, is his ball-winning ability, which is what originally earned him comparisons to Kante.
I think, of these three players, Camavinga is the most likely to move to Chelsea in the next couple of seasons. Kante, whose play has been terrific so far this year, is advancing in age and may look for a new destination as his career starts to wind down. He was linked with moves to Manchester United and Inter Milan this summer, and although they seem unlikely, nothing is ever certain in professional football. If the Blues were to lose Kante for any reason, I’m confident they would at least inquire about a transfer for Camavinga.
Who are some of the big names you’ll be watching out for during Chelsea’s Champions League campaign? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!