What does new signing Katerina Svitkova bring to Chelsea?

Before the men have even confirmed a single signing, the Chelsea Women have secured three new players ahead of next season. Following the additions of defenders, Eve Perisset and Kadeisha Buchanan, Emma Hayes decided to add some depth to the Blues’ midfield with an experienced Women’s Super League player. 26-year-old former West Ham United midfielder Katerina Svitkova now officially makes her move to the club she has always dreamed of being a part of. The four-time Czech Republic Women’s Footballer of the Year played for the Irons for two years, creating six goal-scoring opportunities for West Ham in the recently concluded 2021/22 season.

Hayes is adding a creative player who has the vision in both midfield and on the wings to create game-altering actions. Svitkova played on both the right and the left in the midfield and up top as a forward for both Paul Konchesky and Olli Harder. In all three contests against Chelsea last season, Svitkova played as a left-center midfielder, but West Ham put her all over the pitch until the end of the season when the Hammers primarily kept her on the left side. Keeping all of this in mind, what will Svitkova bring to the Blues upon her arrival?

What does versatile playmaker Katerina Svitkova bring to Chelsea?

After the signing was complete, Hayes spoke on the influence Svitkova is going to have for Chelsea next season, stating,

"“Katerina has developed really well over the past two years at West Ham. We’ve been watching her for some time and knew she’d offer the team a lot of quality in midfield and also wing-back too. She’s really versatile and extremely driven and has a real love for Chelsea … She is the profile we have been looking for and a person who I know will give everything to the shirt when she arrives at the club later this summer.”"

After the signing was made official, Svitkova expressed her delight about now being part of the Chelsea family, stating:

"“I am living my dream! I have wanted to play for this club my whole life having supported the team since childhood and I really appreciate this exciting opportunity … Chelsea is a huge club with amazing history for both the men’s and women’s teams. They have the best players and coaches and I can’t wait to meet everyone … Chelsea also has the best fans and I can’t wait to meet them at Kingsmeadow. I want to win everything, and I know that with Chelsea it is possible.”"

The Blues’ newest signing can play on the flank in a back four or essentially anywhere in the the middle of the park. Svitkova is confident with the ball at her feet and she loves to make darting runs up the flanks using her speed and awareness. She could fit in on one of the wing positions in the 3-5-2 formation that Hayes loves to play or on the left side of the back line if Chelsea opts to switch due to a different match-up.

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At points last season, the Blues looked to lack a lot of depth on the wings in both the midfield and in the defense. Perisset, and now Svitkova, open up a whole new world of possibilities and formations that Hayes can work with from game-to-game. Other than Guro Reiten on the wing, nobody on the Chelsea Women’s team last season asserted themselves on the other side. Ji So-yun, Drew Spence and Jonna Andersson departed following the end of the season, and Svitkova is a perfect fit to replace all of those players in any of those positions. Perisset is going to be glued to the left side of the pitch for the Blues next season, but Svitkova possesses the versatility to play either side of the pitch on top of giving Hayes quality time in the middle of the park.

Maybe scoring against her new side back on January 19 put Svitkova into the conversation for this summer as a new signing. But given the few holes in the team and the confirmed signings, this is a picture-perfect fit. She had always dreamed of playing for Chelsea, and on top of her explosiveness, work ethic and youth, it was a no-brainer for Hayes. On top of her ability in live-ball situations, Svitkova could be a player that Hayes turns to for set pieces given her talent to put the ball into dangerous areas.

It is difficult to guess where the new No. 13 is going to be playing next season for the Blues, but that may be the best part of her game. Svitkova may move around in different positions to see where she fits on this Chelsea team, and even though she may not be a lock to start every match, the Czech international knows how to make an impact in a short amount of time.

Niamh Charles played a lot for the Blues on one of the flanks in the five-person midfield, but with Svitkova and her experience, she could challenge Charles like never before. There are just so many different ways that Hayes tactically can set up her team, and with all this depth coming in, the Blues’ only problem may be which of their talented players to play in that particular contest.

Svitkova’s creativity, work rate and consistency may be her best qualities, but with three years on her new contract, she could add even more attributes to her arsenal. She is familiar with the WSL, but as a player that Hayes is ready to use all over the pitch, Svitkova is geared up to make an immediate impact with a Champions League title contender in her debut campaign.