Chelsea is chasing a certain type of player in the transfer market

Chelsea has a busy month ahead after not adding to its ranks yet at all this summer. There are only a couple of days left in June, and while rival fans are welcoming the newest additions to their favorite clubs, the Blues’ faithful are left celebrating Romelu Lukaku’s loan move back to Inter Milan. Supporters are becoming restless, but fear not, as Todd Boehly and Thomas Tuchel seemingly have everything under control. Now the Lukaku saga is behind the club, the new regime can focus on adding new players to their ranks.

The Blues have lost a number of key players already this transfer window. Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger exited the club on contract expiry after the previous season concluded, and Lukaku left on “loan.” Numerous others—namely Marcos Alonso, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Hakim Ziyech—look to be right behind them. The likes of Cesar Azpilicueta, Jorginho and Timo Werner have flirted with the idea of departure, as well. This mass exodus leaves a massive hole in each position that Boehly and Tuchel will need to fill in the next few weeks. Luckily, many of the targets on Chelsea’s reported shortlist seemingly share one common trait.

Chelsea is looking to add leaders to its ranks in the summer transfer window

While polarizing to many, the Blues’ list of rumored targets possess the same positive attribute: leadership skills. The ability to be an authority figure both on and off the football pitch is a rare trait. As long as things end up in Tuchel’s favor by the time next season rolls around, he will have added this quality to his team at every level.

In defense, the Chelsea boss is surveying the possibility of signing Juventus wonderkid Matthijs de Ligt. It may seem strange calling a 22-year-old a “leader,” but that’s exactly what the Dutchman is. He became Ajax’s youngest ever captain (18 years old) back in 2018 following an injury to Joel Veltman. During his three seasons in Turin, he’s also learned alongside two of the best leaders football has seen in recent decades in Italian internationals Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini. The Blues are keeping tabs on Declan Rice in the middle of the park too. Rice’s leadership speaks for itself. He’s worn the captain’s armband dozens of time for West Ham, and as of 2021, he’s officially the Irons’ vice-captain, aged just 23.

The most mature of the Blues’ targets though—especially in a leadership sense—is Raheem Sterling. Chelsea’s rumored No. 1 transfer target epitomizes the perfect all-around role model. He’s been around the block quite a few times during his 10-year Premier League career, and he’s won a handful of trophies. Sterling is also one of the most mature figures in an England dressing room that, like the Blues, is always looking for the next generation of pitch generals. The 27-year-old Manchester City winger isn’t limited to an on-field leadership role either. He’s a model human being off the pitch who does a lot of fantastic work for those in need.

These are exactly the types of players that Chelsea should be striving to sign. Azpilicueta has cemented his place as one of the best captains and players in the club’s history, but even if he chooses to stick around another year, the Blues are short on commanders. They’ve largely failed to replace the void created by the departures of Petr Cech, Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard (the player, not the manager) and John Terry.

If Chelsea was to add de Ligt, Rice and Sterling, it would be the most complete leadership group in SW6 since the 2013/14 season. This just goes to show that while the Blues look to be struggling to add players right now, they’re not losing focus of what’s right in spite of the search for speedy signings. The board cannot get sloppy, and it looks as if it won’t. Chelsea knows the players it needs to strengthen its ranks, replenish the squad and replace those who have already left. There is no better time to add leadership than during a large-scale rebuilding/retooling.

Who would you like to see the Blues bring into the dressing room this summer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter!