Chelsea have spent the last few years rebuilding almost every area of their squad.
Ever since BlueCo took charge in 2022, Chelsea have signed a multitude of players including goalkeepers, centre-backs, midfielders and wingers. There's even been a stream of new managers and sporting directors.
Yet despite all of that change, one uncomfortable problem still remains at the heart of this ambitious, and at times, failing, project.
Reece James makes Chelsea tick like no other player
Chelsea’s performances continue to rise and fall with the availability of Reece James, and that is a dangerous position for the side to be in.
Because while James remains one of the most gifted full-backs in world football on his day, the Blues simply cannot build around him with any real confidence.
His injuries have become too frequent and too disruptive. His latest — a hamstring strain — has kept him out since March. And yet every single time he returns to the side, the difference becomes impossible to ignore.
With their captain, the Blues immediately look quicker, more balanced and far more dangerous in possession and on the break. The 26-year-old's presence in the side improves every other player on the pitch.
Cole Palmer is perhaps the biggest example of that. James’ movement on the right-hand side naturally stretches teams and creates space for Palmer to work in. Without James, Chelsea often appear narrow and a lot more predictable. This forces Palmer to receive the ball deeper and under greater pressure.
Problem waiting to happen
With James in the team, everything feels more fluid. Without him, Chelsea are not just missing a top quality right-back, they're missing one of the few players in the squad capable of solving problems in real time.
James can progress the ball, switch play, overlap, drift centrally and dominate physically in transition. There are not many players in the Premier League who can do all of that.
James' irreplaceability is why the club have repeatedly tried to lessen the burden placed on him. Signings like Malo Gusto have helped in certain areas, while tactical tweaks under Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior have attempted to spread responsibility more evenly across the side.
Simply put though, Chelsea do not have another player even remotely similar to the Englishman stylistically, and this leave the club facing an awkward dilemma.
Do Chelsea continue building a system that looks significantly better whenever James plays, despite his ongoing fitness issues? Or do they finally commit to creating a tactical structure that can function independently of him?
Right now, they appear stuck somewhere in between.
For all the money Chelsea have spent and all the talk of long-term planning under BlueCo, their tactical identity still feels heavily dependent on a player they cannot reliably keep on the pitch.
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