Chelsea tactics and transfers: Finally some tactics and transfers
Josko Gvardiol
It is Nkunku teammate Josko Gvardiol who should be Chelsea’s next target. He is the right age and his progressive play is the best, literally among centerbacks his size and with top 10% defensive actions. The competition for him will be excessive but his age, 20 years old, means the expected 12-14 years of expected time with the club (the Blues should think of themselves as a finishing club not a stepping stone) can break down that fee.
More than anything though it is his unique skillset and ability that mean he can slot into the middle centerback role in a three as well as the left side and be a good partner in a two. For a player as tall as he is and as good as he is in the air Gvardiol is something of a unique opportunity because he’s one of the few players alive who presents Thiago Silva-esque potential on the ball and that’s something Chelsea simply must take a shot on.
Benoit Badiashile
It appears as of the writing of this piece that Chelsea have agreed to a deal for Benoit Badiashile. The young French center-back is a player I have mentioned as an option for Chelsea for several years and one of the best young players in the French league.
The way he shapes his body to the play and receives the ball he appears to be best on the left side of a three. His technique and running ability also suggest that he should be a good player for the modern inverted center-backs that contribute in the attacking third style that a back three needs.
A good comparison for Badiashile oddly is Chelsea’s most recent French CB addition Wesley Fofana. Leicester are some of the best negotiators in Europe so CFC did overpay as well as the additional in-Premier League tax that is always added. That said Fofana and Badaiashile are both players for whom you’re paying mainly for potential.
Badiashile is incredibly gifted physically. It’s rare that a player is as tall as he is and as fast as well. He moves with remarkable grace and unlike a lot of players his size manages to use his body and intelligence to change direction well with more direct attacking players. In addition to that he’s also good in the air and more than willing to make a physical tackle.
That said like Fofana he is prone to a lack of concentration or a mistake that usually he then relies on his physicality or teammates to recover from.
The only worrying thing about this signing is what it means for Chelsea’s Levi Colwill. The young Englishman is the best central defensive player the Blues have had in over a decade. He is a left-sided center-back who excels in actions near the sideline in the same way as Badiashile. That’s why though Badiashile is an excellent prospect and it seems the west London were able to get the deal done for a reasonable fee. It also seems to be unnecessary and maybe even one that was a little panic-driven given the club’s recent results. Another player that I had previously scouted and transferred from Salzburg to become Badiashile’s teammate at Monaco is Mohamed Camara.