Chelsea: Depth is the best case for Declan Rice’s arrival

Reports are spreading around the Chelsea community that Declan Rice is Thomas Tuchel’s number one midfield target. This has sparked many conversations, comparisons and conspiracies. Perhaps most notably many think they know why Tuchel wants Rice.

It’s okay to not know why Tuchel wants Declan Rice, but many of the reasons put forward are not really compelling arguments, especially when you consider the figure going around as the potential transfer fee. The Blues need to spend on problem positions. The area that Declan Rice would be occupy was a problem position for the system Frank Lampard wanted to play.

Thomas Tuchel has deployed a 3-4-2-1 system that has almost completely eradicated the Blues defensive problems. The Blues, however, have had a problem scoring and creating good enough chances consistently. The Blues spent about 250 million last summer and it makes sense that they’d want to only spend £70 million+ in areas that are problem positions only. Defensive midfield is not one. Center forward is one.

The main argument being made for Rice is somehow his supreme defensive ability and contribution to West Ham and how he would make this same contribution to Chelsea and protect the back the Blues’ backline.

As things stand, Declan Rice is not the best defensive midfielder in the country. There might even be a case that he’s not the best defensive contributor in the West Ham midfield. Since Tomas Soucek arrived at West Ham, he has been contributing just as much defensively and a lot more offensively. Soucek offers a threat from central midfield.

Declan Rice often plays in a double six midfield pivot for David Moyes’s West Ham United. Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea play a 3-4-2-1 that would see Rice slot into the midfield to play a role similar to what Jorginho does. It’s difficult to say how much better Rice would fill that role because the demands of such a role would be different for sides who play near opposite styles of football. Rice has a lot of defensive actions which isn’t unusual or outrageous because he plays in a side that is constantly under pressure.

Chelsea needed Rice to protect their backline before Tuchel came in, they do not need him for that purpose now, except Tuchel plans to move to a back four very soon. The transfer targets so far indicate a willingness to stay in a back three though. Tuchel changed Chelsea’s formation and has ensured the Blues have been more resilient and in fact excellent defensively. “A man to protect the backline” is currently not a need and therefore the Blues don’t need to go above and beyond to satisfy West Ham.

Chelsea do need another central defensive midfield contributor though. There are currently three senior central midfielders trusted by Tuchel; Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic and N’Golo Kante. Preseason will soon begin and Tuchel would be taking a look at Conor Gallagher, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and a few others. Loftus-Cheek is quite injury prone and Gallagher has just one season – albeit a good one – at the top level. Chelsea needs depth – quality depth – in that area. This is the best case to be made for Rice’s arrival. Rice can come in for any of Chelsea’s current preferred central midfield options and the level in quality won’t drop in ability and experience.

This of course means that Rice’s involvement in the side would be completely dependent on his performance and he would start most of the games if he deserves to. However, Rice is far from guaranteed to walk into the side. Rice has the qualities to play well in a Tuchel side but it’s better to abandon the notion that Rice will be brought in to protect the backline because that’s probably not it. No one likely knows why Tuchel wants Rice, if he wants him, or how the German plans to deploy the Englishman, and it’s okay not to know.