Three positions Chelsea needs to address in the transfer market

Right wingback

Chelsea more or less unraveled last season when it lost Ben Chilwell and Reece James to injury. The absence of a suitable, recognized right wingback back-up though caused a headache for the Blues, and more specifically, Tuchel himself. The manager tried Azpilicueta, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech at right wingback to find a solution.

Loftus-Cheek came on for James against the Toffees last weekend, but it’s a dangerous game going into a new season planning to play a central midfielder at right wingback. It’s one thing if you find yourself in that situation through injuries, it’s another thing if you go into the season with the intention to play a central midfielder at right wingback, which is what looks to be happening at this moment in time. This would just mean Loftus-Cheek will be set up to have a free ride devoid of criticism should anything go wrong. For every poor game Loftus-Cheek has at right wingback, many would come to his defense saying “that’s not even his position, what do you want from him?!” and they’d be right because it’d be difficult to argue against it.

Chelsea should avoid any situation that potentially exempts any player from responsibility in the event of a poor performance. Having a suitable back-up for James is just one of the reasons the Blues need someone in. Chelsea—whether the fans like it or not—needs someone who can challenge James at right wingback, as well. No club can reach full potential if some players know their place is secure no matter what happens. If they know there’s no “real” threat to their position they’ll be relaxed and complacency will eventually seep into their performance. In the end, that will begin to affect the club and its objectives.