Following the recent takeover of the club by a consortium led by Todd Boehly, Chelsea fans are gearing up for another chapter in the club’s history. The £4.25 billion ($5.4 billion) acquisition of Chelsea Football Club from sanctioned Russian oligarch, Roman Abramovich, is one of Boehly’s biggest ever purchases and highlights the ambitious plans he evidently has for the club.
Boehly, who is also one of the owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, is said to have injected around £200 million into the transfer kitty to help Thomas Tuchel compete with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City at the top of the Premier League. While the club managed to win last season’s Champions League prize, the Blues are way off the pace domestically. As such, when it comes to sports betting and predicting the winners of the Premier League and the Champions League next season, Chelsea currently aren’t in the discussion. A successful summer rebuild, though, would almost certainly improve the team’s chances of winning a major piece of silverware next campaign.
The defence needs addressing immediately
With German boss Thomas Tuchel expected to be entrusted with leading a much-needed clear out at the club, speculation is rife. Chelsea have always been shrewd operators in the transfer market, with the club usually getting who it wants. One area of concern that will surely be the main focus is the defence, with a key man in Antonio Rudiger departing the club for Real Madrid, alongside Andreas Christensen, who is expected to join another Spanish giant in Barcelona. The futures of both Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso aren’t entirely clear either, with both La Liga clubs reportedly keen on Chelsea’s Spanish pair.
Ultimately, Chelsea’s already thin squad could be even more depleted in the coming weeks, especially if all four defenders depart West London. It’s an area of the pitch that has been integral to Chelsea’s successes over the years too, from memorable pairings of old like John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho, to modern-day options such as Thiago Silva and the aforementioned Rudiger. With a number of names already being linked with a move to the club, some incomings and outgoings will surely be on the cards. Sevilla’s Jules Koundé is reportedly a main target, alongside the likes of Joško Gvardiol, a promising centre-back at Bundesliga club RB Leipzig, and Paris Saint-Germain’s Presnel Kimpembe. Make no mistake about it, Tuchel will almost certainly bolster his defence in the coming weeks.
A wave of players could be departing the club
(Image via https://twitter.com/siphillipssport)
Alongside the defensive issues that are taking shape at Stamford Bridge, there are a number of players who occupy other areas of the pitch that face uncertain futures also. Ross Barkley is reportedly keen on securing first team football elsewhere, Jorginho and N’Golo Kante have just over 12 months remaining on their respective deals, and the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Christian Pulisic, Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech, all of whom have failed to produce the goods for the club, could be shown the exit door.
For Romelu Lukaku, in particular, his second spell at Chelsea has been a disaster. It comes as no surprise, then, to see reports suggesting that the Belgian beast is keen on departing the club. For Chelsea, there will surely be plenty of potential replacements for the likes of Lukaku. Names already being mentioned are Benfica’s Darwin Núñez, RB Leipzig’s Christopher Nkunku, and Ousmane Dembele of Barcelona.
With a number of twists and turns expected to come in the weeks ahead, Chelsea are likely to be in for a busy summer rebuild.
