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Top 10 statistical seasons for Chelsea players in Premier League history

The Premier League has a rich history of world class players, who throughout their career have produced world class numbers statistically. Today we are highlighting West London club Chelsea, and counting down the top 10 single season performances from some of the players that have helped contribute to the 5 league title wins since the league was reformed in 1992.

In order for me to compile this list and rank the players, there were a number of variables that I took into account. The main stats were goals and assists but, I also considered if the team had won the league that year and also man of the match performances. This was to signal that their overall performances were at a high level as opposed to just scoring penalties for example. However, one discrepancy amongst the list is that I was unable to find some of the stats for man of the match awards for some of the older years. The stats that I have complied are solely based on Premier League numbers and things such as Champions League goals have not even been acknowledged.

Here are some honourable mentions who didn’t quite make the cut but I felt that their presence deserved some place in this article. Some absolutely astounding seasons here that I will briefly show the stats.

Juan Mata 12/13, 12 goals, 12 assists
Nicolas Anelka 08/09, 19 goals, 2 assists, Golden Boot winner
Frank Lampard 05/06, 16 goals, 8 assists, Premier League winner
Didier Drogba 10/11, 11 goals, 13 assists, 7 MOTM awards
Gianfranco Zola 02/03, 14 goals, 7 assists

10. Diego Costa 14/15 season

In the June of 2014 Chelsea signed Diego Costa for a reported fee of £32 million. Coming off a league win in Spain with Athletico Madrid, Costa was one of the hottest commodities in Europe. He scored on his league debut against Burnley and proceeded to score a further six more in his next three games. To this day, Diego holds the record for goals scored in a players first four games in Premier League history. In doing so Costa also received the August player of the month award.

Hamstring injuries throughout the season scuppered the Spaniards ability to break more records but he still ended the season with 20 premier league goals and added a further 3 assists in only 26 games. He averaged a goal contribution exactly one every 90 minutes. His goals helped his side win the league that year and he also found himself in the Premier League team of the season.

9. Didier Drogba 06/07 season

Coming off back to back Premier League winning seasons, the Blues were pipped at the post by Manchester a United who finished 6 points above their rivals, and subsequently Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho was given the boot out the door (not his last at Stamford Bridge). However, though league silverware was amiss, Ivorian Didier Drogba had the most successful individual season of his Chelsea career up till that point. Didier finished the season with 20 goals to his name and 4 assists. This was enough to see him awarded with the first of his two Premier League golden boot awards. He just edged out the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Benni McCarthy. Throughout the season Drogba had some memorable moments, including scoring the winning goal against Liverpool at home and scoring his first ever hat-trick against London rivals Watford.

His outstanding performances throughout the season saw him make it into the Leagues team of the season. If it weren’t for the emergence of up and coming superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, the Chelsea front man would have surely won the player of the year award as well.

8. Eden Hazard 14/15 season

Like his teammate already on this list Diego Costa, Eden Hazard had an exemplary 14/15 season. World class performances saw him win the Player of the Year award. And in doing so made him the first Chelsea player in a decade to do it (more on that later). Electric individual performances saw Eden awarded 10 man of the match awards as he carried his team to the title. Standout performances against Arsenal and Manchester United, both games in which he scored the winners, really showed his class. This was argued to be Eden’s first real world class season in West London, and the young Belgian appeared to have plenty more in the tank. He ended the season with 14 goals and 10 assists. More impressively than that, the young winger earned the distinction of being the most fouled player in the league. Something he would go on to earn many more times through this career in England.

7. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink 01/02 season

In my opinion, Hasselbaink will always be one of the best strikers in premier league history. The Dutchman appeared to always be on the scoresheet and a mixture of finishing ability and world class movement made for a concoction of nightmares for opposing defenders. The story was no different in the 01/02 season. Though Chelsea finished a disappointing 6th place in the league. The Dutch striker scored a very respectable 23 goals, only one shy of golden boot winner Thierry Henry. He also added 6 assists to his game, showing he could be a primary creator as well as finisher. Hasselbaink did earn the distinction of being one of the select few to score a hat-trick against Tottenham (something all Chelsea players dream of) and he also wrote his name in the history books as he scored the first ever competitive goal in Southampton’s then new St. Mary’s stadium. JFH was one of the many players who helped pave the way for Chelsea to be the team that they are today.

6. Diego Costa 16/17 season

Diego Costa had a fantastic first (and last) season under new manager Antonio Conte in the 16/17 season. After a disappointing season the year prior where Costa only managed to find the net 12 times, the Spaniard really bounced back in the new system and scored a lot more goals. Again, Costa was influential in winning his second league title in his third year in England. Scoring 20 league goals, Diego helped the blues amass a total of 93 points. A Premier League record at the time. The strikers consistent high level performances saw Costa receive 5 man of the match awards and was left just shy of making the team of the year due to the success of Harry Kane and now Chelsea front man Romelu Lukaku. A consistent throughout Costa’s time with the Blues was his ability to score important goals. During the season he scored 8 game winning goals in the league. Most by any player in team and one of the highest amounts in the whole country. Along with scoring he also improved on his creativity, providing 7 assists to his Chelsea teammates.

The aftermath of the season will obviously be remembered for many other of the off field antics involving number 19 but during his time at Chelsea he will be remembered as one of the most lethal finishers the Club has ever employed.

5. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink 00/01 season

Signing for the Blues in the summer of 2000 for a then club record of £15 million (oh how times have changed), there was a great expectation for the man who had scored an abundance of goals for Leeds only a few seasons prior. The Dutchman joined a squad consisting of Gianfranco Zola, Mercel Desailly and Gustavo Poyet. Despite a pretty star studded squad, Claudio Ranieri’s men finished 6th behind both Ipswich and JFH’s former team Leeds. Although the team faltered as a whole, Jimmy had the best season of his career, combining for 31 total goal involvements. 23 goals and 9 assists. Those goals were enough to see him clinch his second golden boot in English football, beating out the likes of a young Michael Owen and the ever present Thierry Henry.

During the season, Hasselbaink had some standout performances including scoring 4 against Coventry City, making one of only a few select players to have scored 4 goals in a Premier League game. He also had notable outings against Liverpool , where he had been impressive in a 3-0 win and also scored in both league fixtures against Spurs in which Chelsea were victorious 3-0 on both accounts. JFH’s golden boot winning season made him the first Chelsea player to win the award since the leagues formation. The first of many might I add.

4. Eden Hazard 18/19 season

After 7 seasons with Chelsea, Eden Hazards final year under Maurizio Sarri was arguably his best. The Belgian phenom was playing like he had fire under his feet. Persistent 9/10 performances saw him obtain 14 man of the match awards. Somehow all these performances couldn’t land the winger into the team of the season, which is even more surprising considering he was a nominee for player of the year!

As for goal contributions he was top of the pile in the whole league. He amassed 16 goals and 15 assists, in doing so he received the playmaker award for the most assists across all 20 teams. As well documented, Hazards sights were set on his dream move to Spain and Real Madrid , where he could play with some of the greatest players in the world. Comparatively, the Chelsea squad at the time was one of the weakest team they have had in quite a few years. It’s understood that Hazards performances helped drag the West London side to a very respectable 3rd place. Though you could argue that this was in part due to many of the top teams around them also dropping high quantities of points. Some of his best performances came against Cardiff, where he netted 3 times and also against West Ham where he arguably scored the goal of the season by weaving through defenders and slotting the ball in the bottom right corner of the net.

3. Frank Lampard 04/05 season

The 04/05 season for Chelsea was monumental in many ways. It had shown there was a power shift away from just Arsenal and Manchester United, and that there was a new big dog in town. New Blues manager José Mourinho brought in a style that could compete with the very best in Europe. To spearhead the Portuguese tacticians side was midfield maestro Frank Lampard. 25 year old midfielder Lampard was the perfect jewel in the Chelsea crown. A mix of technical ability and high footballing IQ made him the focal point of the team to play through. Although having moderate success in West London and also with West Ham years prior, this was the year that saw Frank truly break out. The Englishman scored 13 goals and provided 18 assists for his teammates in performances that saw Chelsea lift their first league title in 50 years. This would also be the first of 3 that Lampard would go on to lift with the club.

Lampard had some iconic moments throughout his career, but arguably none more so iconic than his goal away to Bolton which saw his team clinch their first ever Premier League title. The team that Mourinho had created was a well oiled machine that was built to win but Lampard heroics saw him claim the Premier League Player of The Year award. Making him the first Chelsea player to ever do so.

2. Frank Lampard 09/10 season

The 09/10 season was the best statistical season of Frank Lampard career. In fact the whole Blues squad was firing on all cylinders that season under Carlo Ancelotti, and the Italians side amassed 103 goals across the 38 games. A Premier League record. Lampard chipped in with 22 goals of his own and provided 14 assists, giving him the record of most goal contributions by a midfielder in League history. Many records were broken that year. His goals helped bring his goal tally up and over the years they concocted to make him the highest scoring midfielder in English history with 177 goals.

Despite Lampards heroics and the Blues securing their 3rd league title in 6 years, the Englishman was not nominated for the team of the year. Which today is still a farce considering he was snubbed for the likes of Darren Fletcher, Antonio Valencia and James Milner ( I guess United have always had media bias…). however some notable performances for the midfielder included a hat-trick in a 7-1 victory over Aston Villa and scoring away at Anfield in a 2-0 win. Lampard will go down as arguably the Premier Leagues greatest ever midfielder, and seasons like this one only cemented his legacy.

1. Didier Drogba 09/10 season

Looks like the 09/10 season really was a blockbuster season for some of the Chelsea squad. Frank Lampard’s season will go down as one of the best in Premier League history, but it was overshadowed by what Didier Drogba had managed to do in the same year. Didier Drogba achieved everything there was to do in the season apart from win the player of the year award, and I feel it was wrongly given to Wayne Rooney. Nothing like the British media giving it to a fellow Brit and United player… Anyway, Drogba scored a whopping 29 goals (with only one penalty) and also provided double digits for assists (10). These numbers alone look impressive but he did this all whilst only playing in 32 games due to him leaving to play in the AFCON with the Ivory Coast. He contributed to a goal every 71 minutes, which is Lionel Messi/ Cristiano Ronaldo numbers.

The gargantuan amount of goals obviously led to Didier picking up the golden boot award for the second time in his career. He edged out the likes of Wayne Rooney (26 goals) and Carols Tevez (23 goals) to win the award. He had some massive performances throughout the season including scoring braces in both games against Arsenal, in which the Blues came out victorious on both fronts and also he scored a hat-trick against Wigan on the final day to put a stamp on his monumental season. Not only did his goals help Chelsea lift the league title, but they also helped him find a spot in the team of the Season. Not a difficult decision considering along with his goal contributions he also picked up 13 man of the match awards. Drogba on his day was a force to be reckoned with. A rare mix of pace and power with fantastic scoring ability, his 09/10 season will go down as one of the best single seasons in English top tier history!

10 Biggest Premier League Transfer Flops Of All Time

With COVID seeming an everyday topic, and the news constantly spouting depressing drivel. I thought that today I would also take a look on the darker side of life and discuss some of the biggest flops in premier league football. Talking about the stars of the game is boring and I thought it would be much more fun to compile a list of players that have subsequently cause their teams fans and owners misery after they had signed for their clubs with the ambitions of stardom and trophies weighing heavy on their shoulders.

But what do I consider to be a flop? Well my criteria is quite simple. I have taken into account how much the players were signed for, what wages they were playing on and also what expectations were put on them when they were signed. I have also decided to not include players who have only recently signed for their new teams. I have done this as I feel many of them may turn their careers around. I’m looking at you and crossing my fingers Romelu Lukaku! I have also decided not to rank each individual transfer, this is as I believe being on this top ten list shows you how bad of a signing it was. It doesn’t need to be quantified periodically and maybe you can do that yourself. So let’s get into the list.

Honourable mentions:

Adrian Mutu, Parma -> Chelsea £15 million
Winston Bogarde, Barcelona -> Chelsea Free Transfer
Bebe, Vitoria Guimaraes -> Man Utd £7 million
Ali Dia, Dijon -> Southampton Free Transfer
Ben Gibson, Middlesbrough-> Burnley £15 million

Saido Berahino, West Brom -> Stoke £12 million

After an impressive 2014/15 season where he scored 20 goals in all competitions, the young striker seemed to be on an upwards trajectory to stardom. However, an unsuspected dry spell came in front of goal and he did not find the back of the net in over 900 days. During this spell Stoke City decided to acquire the players services for £12 million. The following season the Potters were relegated to the Championship and Berahino was released from the club after only scoring 5 goals in 54 games. At the end of the 18/19 season, the Burundi international was realesed from the club with 3 years still remaining on his contract.

Fernando Torres, Liverpool -> Chelsea £50 million

For many year the Fernando Torres transfer to Chelsea in the winter of 2011 remained the most expensive transfer in the January windows history. Coming off some incredible seasons in Merseyside where he made appearances in the World Team of The Year twice, the hype for the World Cup winning international was palpable. However, as I’m sure everyone knows, Torres was a major bust in West London. After scoring 65 league goals in just 102 appearances for Liverpool, the Spanish striker scored an abysmal 20 more in a total of 110 league games for Chelsea. The signs were there from the beginning that the transfer wasn’t going to work out. Even before the deal was made, Torres was just coming back from a serious knee injury, where he was even struggling to find form with Liverpool. But that didn’t stop Roman Abramovic and then manager of the Blues at the time Carlo Ancelotti from making the blockbuster signing. Although never living up to the price tag, Torres did have some good moments with Chelsea that fans will look back on fondly. From scoring in the Cam Nou in the semi final of the Champions League, to scoring the opening goal against Benfica in the Europa League semi final. Those good moments were few and far between and after 3 and a half seasons with the club, he was sent out on various loan spells before finally signing with Athletico Madrid in July of 2016 for nothing.

Alberto Aquilani, Roma -> Liverpool £18 million

Being the man to replace Xabi Alonso at Liverpool is certainly no easy feat, and for fellow Spaniard Aquilani, unfortunately it was a task too big. After signing in 2009, Alberto played only a single season in Merseyside, where he managed 26 appearances in all competitions. Although his play wasn’t actually all that bad, the following season, new manager Roy Hodgson shipped him off on loan back to Italy. A couple of seasons later, after appearing for Liverpool a total of 0 times in 2 years, he finally made a permanent move to Fiorentina for £1.8 million. He subsequently then went on to have a pretty stellar career.

Alexis Sánchez, Arsenal -> Man Utd swap deal

Alexis Sánchez had an outstanding career playing for both Arsenal and Barcelona. The Chilean contributed to 85 goals in just 122 league games for Arsenal and picked up a heap of accolades in doing so. These included 2 FA cup wins, and was given Arsenals player of the season award twice. Although life seemed sweet at Arsenal, Sánchez had a desire to play Champions League football and eventually pushed for a move to Manchester United in January of 2018. The deal saw United winger Henrikh Mkhitaryan go the other way in a straight swap, no fee deal. On first glance this may appear a good deal for United, and how could someone who came for near to nothing be considered a flop? Well, on arriving in Manchester, Sánchez put pen to paper on a 500k a week deal. This made him by far the highest paid player in the league. Injuries had caught up with the Chilean as he only managed to find the net 3 times in 1 and a half seasons and he was finally sent out to Italy in order to reduce the wage bill. It was reported however that United still paid nearly half his wages. 2 years after the disaster out transfer, Sánchez was finally allowed to leave on a free to Inter.

Jack Rodwell, Man City -> Sunderland £10 million

3 time capped England international Jack Rodwell had a strong start to his career. Breaking his way onto the scene with Everton in 2008, strong performances would eventually land him a blockbuster move to newly found rich club Manchester City. A couple years of mediocre football later and the midfielder found himself signing with relegation candidates Sunderland. You could say this flop falls more on the Black Cats themselves as they handed Rodwell a £70,000 a week contract. This contract followed the team all the way down into Division One after back to back relegations. During this time Rodwell played a total of 2 games due to injury and an overall bad lack of form. Sunderland were finally able to get out of the contract in 2018 and the whole saga seemed to be a strong indictment on the club and how it was run.

Juan Sebastián Verón, Lazio -> Man Utd £38 million

£38 million these days can net you an up and coming star or a reliable veteran. Back in 2001, if a club were to pay £38 million for a player, you’d expect them to be one of the best in the world. Indeed Argentinian Veron was just that when he signed for Alex Ferguson’s United over 20 years ago. An all rounded midfielder, Veron had just come to England off the back of winning the Serie A with Lazio and had big expectations put on his shoulders. However, Verón struggled to climates to life in England and struggled to find a role in the United system amongst the greats such as Scholes and Keane. After only playing 51 times across two seasons, United cut their losses on the player who they had broken the British transfer record for just two years prior and shipped the midfielder off to Chelsea for £15 million. After an injury hit season with the Blues, he finally left England for good in the summer of 2004.

Andriy Shevchenko, AC Milan -> Chelsea £30 million

There just seems to be something about Chelsea and signing big name strikers for extortionate fees. The signing of Andriy Shevchenko in 2006 epitomises this. Arguably one of the best players in the world at Milan, the Ukrainian had won the Ballon D’or in 2004 and the Champions league back in 2002. Scoring 127 league goals in Italy, Shevchenko was marked as one of the top finishers across Europe. This lead to Roman Abramovic breaking their transfer record on the then 29 year old. Certainly no spring chicken, Shevchenko struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League. Outshone by teammate Didier Drogba, the Ukranian quickly found himself short on minutes and was subsequently shipped back out on loan after scoring just 9 goals in 48 appearances for the Blues. A massive wast of money for the Londoners.

Andy Carroll, Newcastle -> Liverpool £35 million

Scoring 11 goals in 19 games to end the 10/11 season for Newcastle was enough for Liverpool to believe Carroll would be the man to replace Fernando Torres at Anfield. A transfer record for a British player at the time, the Merseyside club had high hopes for the 6ft4 target man. Oh were they wrong about that. During the same summer Liverpool also splashed the cash on Ajax forward Luis Suarez, and there couldn’t be a larger disparity over how their careers ended up. From the start the Carroll transfer was doomed. Arriving with a pre existing knee injury, it took till March of the next year for him to have his full debut with the club. Injuries piled up throughout his tenure with the Reds and he only managed to find the back of the net 6 times in 44 league games. 2 years after signing, he was shipped off to West Ham on loan and then subsequently sold for £15 million the following season.

Eliaquim Mangala, Porto -> Man City £42 million

In August of 2014 Manchester City broke the British transfer record for a centre back to sign French international Eliaquim Mangala from Porto. Mangala had all the physical attributes to be a top defender. However, the player lacked in footballing ability and after Manuel Pellegrini (the man who brought him to the club) was sacked and replaced by Pep Guardiola not long after the Frenchman’s arrival, he was quickly frozen out of the first team. Making only 9 league appearances for the Spaniard, City decided to cut their losses and loan him out to both Everton and Valencia to get him off the wage bill. Finally in the summer of 2019 Mangala made the move to Valencia permanent on a free transfer, meaning £42 million was essentially thrown down the drain.

Danny Drinkwater, Leicester -> Chelsea £35 million

So far on this list I’ve shied away from ranking the other 9 players on this list. But as a Chelsea fan I can’t help but put Danny Drinkwater in the thoroughly deserved number one spot. Signing for the Blues in the summer of 2017 and coming off winning the League with Leicester only the season prior, there was expectation that the England international could rekindle the partnership he once had with N’golo Kante. Things didn’t pan out that way and Drinkwater made 12 appearances in his first season. Shortly after the season, manager Antonio Conte left and the Englishman found himself out of favour with both managers Maurizio Sarri and Frank Lampard. Drinkwater has made one competitive appearance since his debut season and has been shipped off on 4 different loan spells, most recent Reading. Luckily for the Blues, they have entered the final year of the midfielders 100k a week contract, so their nightmare may finally be over.

The next 5 stars to come from the Championship

The Premier League is widely considered to be the the greatest league in the world. With some of the greatest talents and biggest managers, the league has the widest fan base in the world and rakes in billions each year in tv rights deals and sponsorships. However, the ‘younger brother’ of the Premier is the EFL Championship, the second highest division in English football. Although the class disparity between teams fighting for the Premier League title and the teams battling for relegation in the Championship is so vast, there is still a constant conveyor belt of talented youngsters coming out of the Championship and making splashes in the top tier of English football.

For years the championship has had a stigma that it is a division where in order to succeed you need to be physical and have a top work ethic. Which for a large part remains true but, players who tended to be more flair-centric, although flashed at times, were never truly the difference makers in winning teams. Times have now changed, and some of the top players in the division as very technically gifted and evolving managers are choosing to give these players significant roles to play in their more modern style of football.

A handful of players in recent years have performed in the division to such a high standard that they have earned themselves high profile moves to the Premier League, where they have since shown their class and performed well for their new teams. I’ll now show some of the examples.

Ollie Watkins, Brentford -> Aston Villa £28 million
Saïd Benrahma, Brentford -> West Ham £25 million
Che Adams, Birmingham -> Southampton £15 million
Jarrod Bowen, Hull -> West Ham £22 million
Adam Webster, Bristol City -> Brighton £20 million
James Maddison, Norwich -> Leicester £20 million

With all that being said, I’m now going to discuss 5 young championship stars who I feel could be future high profile Premier League signings after a strong showing in the Championship this season and possibly next. A slight stipulation to mention is that I’m only including players who have no/ very little previous top flight experience. So players such as David Brooks, although a very talented youngster, cannot be included as he already has significant Premier League minutes under his belt.

Ben Brereton Diaz – Blackburn (22 years old)

It’s been quite the last 12 months for the young Blackburn striker. From playing international football with the England under 20s team, to playing for Chile in the Copa América. Brereton’s life must feel like a movie. Starting his professional career at Nottingham Forrest, he impressed with scintillating scoring displays, netting 8 goals in 53 games. But after stumbling to reach the heights he was foreshadows to have at the age of 18 he was sold to Championship rivals Blackburn for a reported fee of £7 million. That deal now seems like a bargain. Although starting out wide when he first joined the Lancashire based club, he struggled to consistently hit the back of the net, but then once the youngster started to fill out physically and build his technical ability he really pushed his game to another level last season. Brereton had 11 goal contributions in 40 games and was a real complimentary piece to then star man Adam Armstrong, who has since moved to Southampton.

This season, since teammate Armstrong departed, Brereton has really developed into the number one man for the Rovers. Arguably our could say, he has been the most influential player in the whole division. The young Chilean has already (at time of writing) scored 20 goals in just 25 league games this season, with many more expected to come in manager Tony Mowbray’s high-flying Blackburn side. At only 22 he is now showing consistency well beyond his years, which is frightening considering I believe he still has room to develop his game. But playing at an average ‘whoscored’ rating of 7.26, you can see there is a lot to be admired.

Where Brereton really excels is in his finishing, and this will only get better with experience. He is also very good with the ball at his feet, he has mainly gained this ability from his years playing out on the wing. With his history of playing out wide, it does show in his game, his positioning when making attacking runs can often be mistimed, and he finds himself in offside positions which end up finishing attacking phases dead. Another weakness of his play is his aerial ability and his ableness to hold the ball up, which may limit him in certain systems where they require a traditional number 9. However, if he were to go to a team that allows him to play on the shoulder of the last centre back he could be deadly. If he does go on to finish this season in as stellar of a fashion as he has started then I could easily see a team come in with a large bid in the summer, that is if Blackburn haven’t been promoted by then.

Tyrese Campbell – Stoke (22 years old)

Whenever I get the chance to watch Campbell he always passes one of the biggest tests in football. That’s the eye test. He’s built like the perfect modern day striker. A decent size at 6ft tall and has a fairly stocky frame that allows for him to not be bullied by the traditionally rough Championship centre backs. He is also blessed with a great deal of pace, and pair that with his ability to run at players with the ball apparently stuck at his feet, it’s enough to cause opposing defenders nightmares. When I looked back at some of his goals on YouTube, I noticed that he has a very rare knack for scoring some sublime goals. Whether they were long range screamers, or neat back heel flicks, he seems to have it all in his toolbox.

Tyrese appears to have gained a lot of his footballing ability from his father Kevin, who you may remember has a very impressive 83 Premier League goals to his name. Which he racked up playing for teams such as Arsenal and Everton in the late 90s/ early 00s. Tyrese however, is yet to taste Premier League honours but recent reports suggest that his time will come sooner rather than later, with new found wealthy club Newcastle appearing to be interested in the young Englishman’s services. Campbell did start his early years in the Manchester City youth set up, where he could have potentially impressed and forced his way in to the first team. But opportunities were few and far between in an outstanding City side, so he made the change and moved to Stoke in 2016, where he has since scored 17 goals for the Potters. A good start to last season where Campbell scored 6 goals and provided 5 assists in 16 league games was unfortunately scuppered when, Tyrese picked up a knee injury that knocked him out for the rest of the season. The striker has since returned to action this season but has not quite reached the heights yet that he achieved last season. As long as the injury doesn’t rear it’s ugly head again, I predict Campbell to get back in to goal scoring form and find himself a new shiny Premier League team in the not too distant future.

Levi Colwill – Huddersfield/ Chelsea (18 years old)

I feel like I’m ever so slightly cheating with this one as the Huddersfield player is actually on the books at parent club Chelsea. But with a player of his talent, he couldn’t go amiss on my list. At only 18 years of age, Colwill has shown maturity above his years playing for the Terriers this season. He has made 21 appearances already and has been given multiple man of the match awards for such high performances. When you see him play he is very assured and is incredibly gifted technically, which is a very rare trait for centre backs just starting their career. A term that I enjoy seeing given to players is that they are a ‘Rolls Royce of a centre back’, essentially a term denoting their ability as a top player, and one that is very calm on the ball and always gets it right when it comes to decision making. One such player who regularly gets labelled as this is Blues star Thiago Silva, who at 37 looks as though he is playing the game effortlessly at his ‘mature’ age. I don’t often like to make player comparisons as it sets such a high standard, and the statements can often be misconstruing but I believe that the two players mentioned share a lot of the same attributes.

Colwill possesses the physical ability that most at his age simply do not possess. He can fight people off of the ball, and his pace isn’t that bad either, almost never getting run in behind of due to his exceptional reading of the game. Colwill produces 6.6 tackles and clearances per game and also averages 7.07 ‘whoscored’ rating per 90, which are some of the highest numbers amongst players under 21 in the whole division. One thing that sets the young Englishman apart from other top defenders is his passing ability and vision. Completing 2.7 long balls per 90 and a further 0.4 chances created, shows he has that extra bit of creativity that will level him above his competition. With all this said, you have to remember that he is still only 18 years of age and is also the youngest player on this list. Which also means he has the longest time to grow and adapt his game to make him an even stronger competitor. Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has already shown admiration for Colwill, and he may even get his chance with the first team squad next season. Not bad eh? Going from Championship side Huddersfield to the Champions of Europe.

Fábio Carvalho – Fulham (19 years old)

Unlike the players previously mentioned in this list, Fábio Carvalho has actually had some Premier League experience. Although only making 4 appearances in the competition, he does indeed have a goal to his name, which he scored against Southampton nearing the end of the 2020/21 season. His stint in the Premier League may have been minuscule but he left a big impression on Fulham fans with his electric performances on the wings. Since being relegated back down to the Championship, the young Portuguese prodigy has shone. Being Fulham’s main creative presence at just 19 has caught the attention of some of Europe’s biggest clubs. Teams such as Chelsea, Liverpool and even Barcelona have been rumoured to have enquired on the players availability. Although officially listed as a winger, the youngster has shown his capability to play in a number of positions. From marauding down the flanks, to be an orchestrator at the number 10 position. His performance have even netted him the EFL young player of the month award in August and has so far this season contributed to 5 goals in 15 games, which is amongs the highest in the division for players aged 21 and under.

like many young players who come from the hot part of the continent, Carvalho has a technical ability that is unrivalled by most other youngsters his age. The young Fulham player shows flair in his game that is comparable to that of the Brazilians but also shows an ability to get his head up and make a pass like one of his Spanish neighbours. Overall he is a mixed blend of creative 10 and natural wide-man that any good manager with his salt should be able to mould into a creative manger in the future.

Fulham are flying high at 2nd place in the Championship at time of writing, so we may very well see Carvalho back in the Premier League next season. But if somehow the Cottagers fail to make the jump, I expect another team with lofty ambitions may be looking to prize the young star away from his Craven Cottage home.

Brennan Johnson – Nottingham Forrest (20 years old)

At just 20 years of age the young Welshman has the footballing world at his fingertips. After already making 7 appearances for his country at such a young age, the enigmatic winger had arguably the biggest game of his career last week against Arsenal in the FA Cup. Steve Coopers Forest team had an overall remarkable display to fend off 14 time champions of the competition. Number 20 Brennan Johnson played a big role in the game, starting alongside Keinan Davis in attack. Great displays like this show the youngsters capability to play in a number of positions, but the one that comes most natural is on the right wing. Remarkably fast and very good with the ball at his feet, Johnson has made quite the impression on Forest fans after joining them from Lincoln last season. Already scoring 5 and assisting a further 5 more in 25 league games this season has helped a previously struggling Forrest side to within only 6 points of the promotion play-off spaces. His dazzling displays have already rumoured to have caught the eye of Premier League clubs, with Everton, Newcastle and West Ham interested. Nottingham have placed a £20 million price tag on the player so we will have to wait and see if any clubs come in with that kind of offer. At only 20 years of age Johnson still has a long way to go to refine his game, often struggling with his defensive responsibilities, but these things will come with time and a tactical manager. Once he has these attributes down I can imagine we will be seeing him perform at the highest level both in the Premier League and with Wales.

5 wingers Chelsea could sign in January

It’s been a crazy couple of days for the Chelsea team and their fan base. From injury pile ups to a highly competitive game against Liverpool where there were some standout performances from midfield stars Ngolo Kante and Mateo Kovacic. And even more COVID cases and fixture congestion didn’t aid the Blues’ cause for dominance. But all the aforementioned events have been massively overshadowed by an interview that star man, and 98million pound signing Romelu Lukaku had with Sky Italia earlier on in December. An interview in which he spoke of his love for former club Inter Milan, and in the process threw shade (whether intended or not) at current club Chelsea. This has obviously caused an eruption amongst the club and more so the fans who for the most part have provided very negative reactions to the situation. Some fans feel there is no way back into the squad for the striker while other feel that the apology given via the Chelsea website will suffice.

All this drama has taken away from one of the events that I find most enjoyable in the footballing world, the transfer window. A time where speculation over players futures is up in the air and the prospect of your favourite team signing a star player to strengthen their squad and push them forward fills fans with excitement.

With this being said, I’m going to be looking at 5 potential attacking players that the Blues could sign to help Thomas Tuchel achieve more silverware this year. As for why I believe Chelsea should be lookin to sign an attacker is apparent when watching the games. Of course first and foremost the Blues should be looking to enforce the wingback position to cover for injured Reece James and Ben Chilwell. But the West London sides attack has greatly been hampered this season by the lack of a winger/ attacking midfielder that has the ability to both create and score goals. Star youngster Mason Mount has contributed to 12 goals in 18 appearances this season in the league, scoring 7 and assisting a further five, which is very impressive. But, the players that have paired with him on the other wing throughout the season so far have been truly underwhelming. I am now going to list off some of their numbers in comparison to other attackers in the league.

Christian Pulisic – 11 apearences, 3 goals, 0 assists
Kai Havertz- 15 appearances, 2 goals, 1 assist
Hakim Ziyech- 10 appearances, 1 goal, 2 assists
Bukayo Saka- 20 appearances, 6 goals, 4 assists
Son Heung-Min- 17 appearances, 8 goals, 3 assists
Raheem Sterling- 17 appearances, 7 goals, 1 assist
Raphinha- 17 appearances, 8 goals, 1 assist
Emile Smith Rowe- 18 appearances, 8 goals, 2 assists
Saïd Benrahma- 20 appearances, 5 goals, 4 assists
Riyad Mahrez- 16 appearances, 6 goals, 4 assists

From the small list alone you can see that a lot of our players, who were brought in as expensive, high profile signings have been underperforming statistically coming in to the second half of the seasons. Where as other players have excelled for rival sides. Some of those players are not even considered number one players in their side. Providing context to the argument that too many cooks don’t necessarily spoil the broth. So with that being said, I have highlighted 5 players who I believe could come into Tuchels side and improve the attack and provide some goals in an area that has been void of goals so far.

Ousmane Dembélé- Barcelona (24 years old)

When fit, and that’s a BIG when, Dembélé is a star with world class potential. The Frenchman burst onto the scene aged 18 with French side Rennes scoring 12 goals and assisting a further 5 in 26 Ligue Un appearances. He then moved on to Borussia Dortmund, where, under current Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel provided 18 goal contributions in just 32 Bundesliga games. The young star only played one season in Germany before being snapped up by Ernesto Valverde’s heavy spending Barcelona side. In his 4 and a half seasons with the Catalan giants, Dembélé has struggled to recapture his form that he had displayed with his two previous club sides. 34 La Liga goal contributions in that time is a disappointing stat considering Barcelona spent a whopping €105 million plus add ons. A lot of the players downfalls have been due to injury. Seemingly spending more time on the medical table than on the pitch in recent years has really cast a shadow over his career as a whole, making Barca fans question whether the youngster will ever truly live up to his world class potential. However, when fit you can see what Ousmane provides to a team. Very fast and incredibly technical on the ball, Dembélé has the versatility to play anywhere across the front three, especially considering his very strong finishing ability. He is also very two footed, once sighting that he is left footed but takes penalties with his right foot. His ability to play using both feet is astounding, having at one point scored 12 goals with his left foot and 18 with his right.

But where does he fit in with Thomas Tuchels system? Well I’d imagine quite well actually… As previously mentioned, when fit Dembélé could start for nearly any team across Europe. Nearly every season he has played in his career he has averaged over 7 on ‘whoscored’, just adding to the fact he is consistently performing when healthy. Arguably his best season in his still budding career was in Germany, playing for a team managed by Thomas Tuchel. Tuchel has spoken very highly of the Frenchman in recent years, even saying ‘Dembélé can do anything in football’. The sentiment has also been mirrored, with Dembélé claiming that Tuchel is his favourite ever manager. If the youngster was to join the Blues he would provide a lot of creativity and would be able to work very well of target man Lukaku and would also be able to provide goals to bridge the gap between Chelsea and their higher scoring rivals. With all of the positives being said we do need to again address his injury history. Roman Abramovic may not want to get the cheque book out for a player who is more injury prone than Christian Pulisic. Chelsea need to bring in a player who can play consistently at a high level, but his problem would be more about playing consistently in general, rather than actually playing well.

Barcelona’s asking price for the still very young Frenchman would be nowhere near the price they had paid for him back in 2017. 30-40 million might even be enough to get the job done considering his contract runs out in the summer. This is a very high risk/ high reward transaction. You can potentially get a future top 10 player in the world or you could be throwing 50 million down the drain for a player who will average 10 games a season. I guess only time will tell how the rest of his (hopefully long and fruitful) career plays out.

Kingsley Coman- Bayern Munich (25 years old)

Kingsley Coman is a star player who would drastically improve this Chelsea side. Like his French compatriot who I have previously mentioned in Dembélé, he stepped onto the stage at an early age and set the world alight. A serial winner with a great mentality, Coman holds the enviable stat that he has won the league title in every season he has been a professional. Then again, it’s not an overly hard thing to do when his club sides have been PSG, Juventus and current club Bayern Munich. Which at the very least, you’d hope he’s picked up a strong winning mentality along the way. Coman, although an outstanding talent in his own right, has been left out of the Bavarian sides starting XI more often than not in the previous 2 seasons due to the resurgence of team mates Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry. Who are both considered top wingers amongst Europe’s elite.

Even with lack of playing time, his numbers have still been positive. Scoring 4 goals in his 10 Bundesliga appearances this term and contributing to 15 in 29 last season shows he can produce top numbers in creative teams. If he were to join Thomas Tuchels side, he’d offer an added element that the Blues side is currently lacking. A goal scoring winger who can create opportunities for main man Lukaku. Chelsea also lack in one area specifically and that is serious pace out wide. Apart from Timo Werner, Chelsea lack pace in attack and the opportunity to play on the counter attack has been hampered this season due to players not being able to break away. A combination of Mount, Coman and Lukaku with Werner and Havertz thrown in would give opposition defenders sleepless nights before games.

As for the fee it would likely take for Coman to come to the Bridge would be hefty. Rumoured to be anywhere between 50-80 million, he’s definitely an investment. At only 25, the Frenchman could provide 7 years of top tier performances that could help the West London club to more silverware, which is obviously their ultimate goal.

Antony- Ajax (21 years old)

Young Brazilian talents seem to be a dime a dozen in this day and age. Not all of them end up succeeding in living up to the hype though. Ajax appear to have one of these stars in 21 year old Antony. The young winger has set the Dutch league alight since making his debut for the Amsterdam based side in 2020. Combining for 24 goal contributions in his first 46 league games, he has really shown his prowess in front of goal. Not only has he been performing well in a league where the quality of opposition is often put in question but, he has performed very well in Europe’s premier competition, the Champions League. Scoring 2 goals and assisting 4 in only 5 games in the group stages and also performing to a 7.93 rating on ‘whoscored’, he has shown he can compete amongst the elites.

The areas in which Antony excels, he really excels. Again a very fast player with magical boots, he would offer Thomas Tuchels side something that they have greatly missed in the past few seasons. That is the ability to shoot from outside the box. Players (outside of Rudiger…) in this current system almost seem afraid to shoot from distance and prefer to pass the ball into the net, which in certain games, especially against teams who play with a low block, is not the right tactic. The youngster also has a very smooth ball playing motion, Rey accurate with his passes and crosses, which again would very much benefit team mate target man Romelu Lukaku.

As for getting this deal done, I’d argue it’s a long shot for January. A deal in the summer appears to make a lot more sense. Players don’t tend to stay in the Eredivise for long, and when they have the spotlight on them, they often go for a large fee to the first bidder. Previous stars such as Frenkie De Jong and Matthijs De Ligt have recently moved from Ajax for fees in excess of £60 million. I feel Antony will not be quite as expensive, rumoured to be around the £50 million mark. But if this Chelsea side really were to have silverware aspirations this year, they could do a lot worse than bringing in this somewhat unknown commodity to Stamford Bridge this month.

Eden Hazard- Real Madrid (31 years old)

At the time of writing this, it is currently Eden Hazards 31st birthday, and it has really got me reminiscing over the great 7 years he had spent as a part of Chelsea football club. On his day the best player in the league, he was a man who could singlehandedly take a game by the scruff of it neck and drag the Blues to victory. His final year in West London was arguably his greatest season with the team. Scoring 16 goals and providing 15 assists helped drag a struggling Sarri team into a respectable 3rd place and also a dominant Europa League win. He also received a league high 14 man of the match awards in only 32 games which is outstanding. To put it lightly Chelsea fans love Eden Hazard, and his time with the team is looked back on very fondly.

His move to Madrid 2 and a half years ago for a reported fee of up to €150 million has not turned out how either Hazard himself or Madrid would have hoped. Playing only a total of 43 La Liga games out of a possible 96 games due to injury has been a real disappointment. With many of those 43 appearances being small substitute cameo appearances. Also comparably to his last season where he only played 32 league games, in his 43 in Spain, he has only contributed to 10 goals and produced a poultry 2 man of the match awards.

So with this being said, why should the Blues look to bring in a 31 year old injury prone player past his prime? The honest answer is a mixture of nostalgia and the truthful fact that a half fit Eden Hazard is still probably better than what we already have on this team. The fee to bring his back wouldn’t be bankrupting either, with a loan option most likely. It’s far more low risk than some of the other options previously mentioned. If he were to come back and be injured, Chelsea wouldn’t have to live with the fact that they spent over £100 million on the player unlike Real, who would probably just be happy to get his wages off the books, And if he were to be fit and contribute to the team then I’m sure Blues fans everywhere would be overjoyed. All I can say is bring him back Marina, as Nike would say ‘just do it’!

Gonçalo Guedes- Valencia (25 years old)

A player who I’ve been following for a number of years now is Portuguese star Gonçalo Guedes. A versatile attacker who can play on either wing, as a number 9 or even a second striker, he may add a little bit more firepower to the Chelsea offence. Providing 10 goal contributions in 18 La Liga games in a struggling Valencia team, Guedes has shone providing 5 man of the match performances. Similarly to the other players mentioned on this list, the Portuguese star is very fast and runs very well with the ball at his feet. Averaging 2 dribbles a game shows he has the ability to run at players and take on a man, which is something this current Chelsea squad lacks outside of Callum Hudson-Odoi and Christian Pulisic who have had varying success when taking on defenders.

Although still fairly young, Guedes has a lot of footballing experience. Having already played 29 games for Portugal, he has been around top players such as Ronaldo and Bernardo Silva, hopefully adding to his winning mentality. Valencia’s win over Barcelona in the Copa Del Rey final in 2019 also shows he is able to contribute to winning teams.

In 2019 Guedes signed a permanent deal with Valencia from PSG for €40 million, so you shouldn’t expect any deal to happen for the player for anything shy of £40 million. Again, similar to previous player suggestions, a deal for Guedes, if it were to happen, would be more likely in the summer. But with Valencia underperforming and not in Europe this season, the players head may be turned when the Champions of Europe come knocking.

5 wing backs Chelsea should sign in January

We’ve finally made it, the January transfer window is here. Just like many transfer windows that have come before it, the excitement for signings around the premier league is palpable. Today’s spotlighted team Chelsea are no exception. After a strong start to the season where they flirted with the number one spot in the league, their December form has seen them slope to 3rd place in the league after picking up a paltry 12 points of an available 21 in the month. Injuries have not helped Thomas Tuchel’s squad, COVID yet again reared its ugly head, knocking many squad players out of play, including the likes of Lukaku, Werner and Callum Hudson-Odoi. But the significant injuries to the Blues top full backs Ben Chilwell and England compatriot Reece James has really put the nail in the coffin of Chelsea’s title aspirations.

The two instrumental wingbacks have combined for 13 league goal contributions so far this season. And that output is hard to replicate. But with Chilwell out for the season, and James rumoured to be out for at least 3 months, Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia has the unenviable task of trying to bring in one or two competent replacements to fill in those pivotal roles in Tuchels system. And replace them she must. The wingback position for Chelsea has shown time and time again this year that it is vitally important to keep fluidity in attack and the form of the team drastically dips when the two England internationals are out. Players such as Marcos Alonso, Cesar Azpilicueta and more recently Christian Pulisic have filled those positions but continuity in attack has greatly faltered. The West London club scored a combined 13 goals in 8 premier league games since Chilwell’s injury but scored 21 in the 8 games prior to it.

Thomas Tuchel has been less than complimentary of his options in the past few weeks, claiming after Chelsea’s draw against Brighton in the last few days ‘ Chelsea have no wingbacks’. Which is a damning indictment on players such as Marcos Alonso who have solely played that positions since the German managers arrival. And with fellow Spanish compatriot Azpilicueta growing older, he no longer has the legs to blaze up and down the wing for 90 minutes 2 times a week. With all that being said, I am now going to discuss 5 options that the West London club could look to bring in to Stamford Bridge to compete for the wing back spaces and hopefully allow the Blues to push on and have a stellar second half to their 21/22 season.

Lucas Digne- Everton (28 years old)

The French fullback has had a stellar career in Merseyside, playing a total of 113 premier league games across his 3 and a half years with the Toffee’s. The former Barcelona and PSG man has been excelling down the left flank for a number of seasons now and would provide Tuchels squad with an added bit of experience at the back and also a cutting edge in attack. One of Digne’s main strengths is his deliveries into the box. Digne has provided 18 assists in the premier league so far in his career, this number can only be topped by the most elite of fullbacks in the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson. His integration into the starting XI should be fairly seamless as his playing style is similar to that of the man he’s coming in to replace, Ben Chilwell.

As you tend to find in the January window, good players very rarely tend to swap teams, and when they do, it’s regularly for large fees. However, reports coming out from various sources suggest that Digne may be looked at as a loan option with the potential to buy at a later date. This will obviously save on cost for the heavy spending London club and may allow them to spend bigger in other needed areas. Whereas Everton will have the players wages taken off their books for the rest of the season. This will be greatly beneficial for Rafa Benitez’s side as the Frenchman has fallen out of favour with his Spanish manager, and though he has the talent to be playing week in, week out. He has found himself on the bench more often than not this season for reasons that have not been made aware to the public. So a fresh start and new scenery may be the best solution to all parties. And with all the names I suggest on this, I’d argue that Digne is the most likely signing to be completed in this window. And with an average ‘Whoscored’ player rating of 7.14 last term, Chelsea fans should be excited with the prospect of this signing.

Adama Traore- Wolves (25 years old)

We move over to the right hand side now, and with this suggestion, you can’t find many more electrifying players than Wolves’ Adama Traore. Although not strictly a wingback, Traore has the versatility to play anywhere on the wing. With his blistering speed and ability to take on defenders, he would add a stark contrast to current Chelsea fullbacks Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta. One knock that has frequently been targeted at Traore is his serious lack of end product on the pitch. Contribution to only 21 goals in 157 premier league games. However, with him moving further down the pitch to wingback, this should hopefully negate that problem and not be such an issue. Tuchel can then focus on his greatest strengths, which are in fact his literal strength and speed. Arguably the fastest player in the league, Traore could provide the type of cover at the back similar to Kyle Walker of Manchester City, who rarely gets beaten for pace by attackers. He can also create chances with the ball at his feet, and dribble past players. in fact, Traore completes an average of 4.7 dribbles per 90 in the premier league. Which makes up for his lack of crossing ability to move the ball into dangerous areas.

As for the financial side of this deal, it doesn’t look too daunting of a task. Tuchel appeared to be an admirer of the Spaniard last summer but a deal never materialised. Which may have been a good thing as the Wolves man was touted to cost around 40-50 million pounds. Whereas I feel now he may be able to be brought in for 25-30 million. Which is a fairly decent price for a utility player in this day and age. The asking price appears to have dipped somewhat due to his lack of minutes this season. Although he has been on the pitch frequently, these have tended to be substitute appearances, and manager Bruno Lage appears to favour Mexican Raul Jimenez and Barcelona newcomer Trincao. As an option at wingback for Chelsea I rate Traore fairly highly. Let’s just hope the higher ups at Stamford Bridge feel the same!

Rico Henry- Brentford (24 years old)

When Henry signed for Brentford from Walsall in 2016 they must have felt they signed their stalwart left back for the foreseeable. Luckily for them he has been just that. A player with blistering pace and a sizeable gas tank, the Englishman provides the right type of profile to excel as a fullback in the premier league. Brentford have been nothing short of a phenomenon to start the season. Although faltering since their hot start to the term where they beat top 4 challengers Arsenal in their first premier league game ever 2-0 they have really brushed off the relegation battle tag that was put on them before September. Rico Henry has certainly been a core player in their run so far playing 16 of the league games so far.

One main attribute I like to look for when grading a player is if they pass the eye test. Henry certainly does this. Often blazing into the final third of the pitch and contribution to attacking phases and tracking back and not allowing runners in behind, he is a very fun player to watch. Contributing to 3 goals so far this year he offers a threat in attack and he doesn’t skip out on his defensive duties providing 1.5 tackles and interceptions a game, only .5 shy of the player he would be replacing, Ben Chilwell.

As for the finances of this deal, Henry wouldn’t come cheap. Brentford have a canny knack of flipping players for large profits and they’d certainly like to get their money’s worth for the fullback. As previously mentioned, players don’t often go in January, so, a fee of around 30million pounds is to be expected. I’d argue that 4-5 years of decent rotational play would be worth the fee, and he has the ability to step up and be a first XI player when Chilwell is unavailable.

Sergio Dest- Barcelona (21 years old)

The young American has somewhat underperformed since arriving in Catalonia in late 2020. However, the still very young 21 year old has a lot to prove and a lot of time to grow. The fullback still has a lot of the raw attributes that Tuchel could very much mould into a serviceable replacement on both the right and left hand side of the pitch. In fact, his versatility is one of the main selling points to bring the youngster into the side. Again, same as the aforementioned players on this list, Dest is blessed with great pace and a solid gas tank. He also provides a technical ability that would fit nicely into Tuchels fast playing side. The American completed roughly 2.5 dribbles per game and also provides 1.4 key passes, showing his creative ability when going forward.

Dest has already been heavily rumoured to go out on loan to the West London side this January, so there are definitely legs to this rumour. And like the Digne suggestion, a loan is the most likely deal which again, is good for money saving and, it will take the Americans wages off the books of the heavily indebted Barcelona side. Picking up a player who has averaged 7.02 average rating on ‘whoscored’ this season would definitely make for a savvy signing to help get this struggling Chelsea team across the line this season.

Filip Kostić- Eintracht Frankfurt (29 years old)

My last offering is a bit of a left field shout (quite literally). Kostić primarily plays as a winger for his German club but has been known to slot in at wingback when the side need cover in a back 5 formation. With his natural position on the pitch being more in the forward areas, this will mean he’s more suited to the Blues style of play. Get the ball out to the wing backs and create chances from there. The Serbian international certainly doesn’t shy away from getting stuck in in attack, contributing to 9 goals so far this season (3 goals and 6 assists). Completing an average on 2.8 key passes a game would automatically make him one of the more creative players in this current Chelsea side. Being good at defending is also a necessity for any Thomas Tuchel side, and luckily in this case, the Serb doesn’t shirk away from his defensive duties, completing 1.7 tackles and clearances a game. Also, similar to his Chelsea counterparts, one of his greatest attributes is his abilities at set pieces and crosses. After watching quite a lot of tape on the veteran winger, it’s clear to see he has a wand of a left foot.

With Frankfurt currently sitting 6th in the table in the Bundesliga, manager Oliver Glasner may not want to ship off one of his most influential players. But, with Kostic being 29 and his contract expiring in the summer of 2023, now may very well be the right time to cash in on one of their key assets. And as for Chelsea, picking up an experienced player who has 43 international caps for his country, and is in fact a very good player, it may be worth coming in with a 20 million bid and see what happens from there.

5 Chelsea loanees to make an impact next season

The highs of winning the champions league for Chelsea still have no sign of fading. But with the new season right around the corner, after a little thing called the Euros are wrapped up, the Blues need to look ahead and reinforce their already strong squad in the hope that they can fight for titles. The West London side spend somewhere in the region of £220 million last summer so they may be a little more reserved when it comes to getting out the cheque book. So why not look internally for some gems that can support Thomas Tuchel and his men in a long and arduous season. The Chelsea loan system has been a big talking point around the football community for many years, this is down to the apparent hundreds of players on the Chelsea books that look to get game time elsewhere on the continent year after year and never get a chance once they come back to London. In recent years there has been some exceptions to the concern. Players like Andreas Christensen have come back to Chelsea after successful loan spells and played an integral part in winning titles. Another example of one of these players is Victor Moses (remember him?). The Nigerian winger came back into Antonio Contes side after what appeared to be 30 loan spells and revived his career by adapting his play and becoming an outstanding wing back that supported in the final third of the pitch and defended well. After Conte was dismissed by the club, Moses failed to keep his spot in the side and has now found a home in Russia playing for Spartak Moscow.

So today we are going to look at 5 players who spent the last season out on loan from Chelsea and how they could potentially come in and get some game time at Stamford Bridge this coming year. This is not to say that these players will come in and light the world on fire or even demand a spot in the starting XI week after week but, they can come in and provide fresh legs when needed and also a different element to what we already see in Tuchels side.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek – 25 – Midfield

Chelsea fans have had high hopes for Loftus-Cheek for the best part of 7/8 years. Starting out in the Chelsea youth system as a defensive midfielder, in his recent years, he has pushed up the field and has even been known to play as a second striker. Loftus-Cheek has the rare combination of strength and great dribbling ability. Carrying the ball between the lines whilst opposing players bounce off him when attempting a challenge was something Blues fans got used to whilst seeing him play during his time under Maurizio Sarri in the 18/19 season. His time under the Italian manager was also the best season of his career, scoring 10 goals and assisting a further five before a career halting Achilles injury in an end of season friendly against New England Revolution scuppered his chances of participating in Chelsea’s Europa League win against Arsenal in Baku. Since his injury, the young Englishman has struggled to reignite his career, playing over 20 games in a season just once in the past three years (21 appearances for Fulham this past season). However, given a full summer off to recover from a tiring season, hopefully Ruben can come back to pre season with the Blues and hopefully can impress new manager Thomas Tuchel. The German manager does seem to be looking for a new midfielder, should recent reports be believed. The 25 year old offers a good amount of physicality to midfield, which is something that Chelsea currently lack. And not just a physical presence, Ruben can add goals to the midfield, which is much needed considering the trio of Kovacic, Kante and Jorginho combined for just 7 goals this past premier league season. All of these were Jorginho’s penalties. With all that being said, fingers crossed the young midfielder can push on and get some game time this season. I’m sure all Chelsea fans will be hoping for the same.

Kenedy – 25 – Winger

Since joining Chelsea in 2015 for a fee of £6million, the Brazilian has played only 15 games for the club and has been sent out on loan 4 times since he put pen to paper on his Chelsea contract. However, the young winger has quality in abundance, the players professionalism has been questioned but this should take nothing away from the qualities he can provide a team. A reason that he has been unable to break into the Chelsea side in recent years has been due to his lack of consistent playing time in once sole position. Kenedy has played all over the shop in recent seasons under different managers, from striker to left wing back, he’s played everywhere. The reason for all the chopping and changing is that the Brazilian has the abilities that allow for him to adapt to different positions. He has great technical ability and is very good with the ball at his feet. He also has an eye for goal, this is primarily due to him playing as a striker back in his youth playing for Fluminense. I see Kenedy coming back to Stamford Bridge and playing as a rotational wing back in Thomas Tuchels side. He briefly played a similar role to a fairly high level under Antonio Conte in the 17/18 season. I can see him doing the same next season for the Blues. He has the pace to track back and cover the centre backs and also the attacking ability to help support the attackers in the final third. It looks as though Tuchel will still be looking to play 3 at the back next season so there will need to be rotation at wing back. And with the likes of Emerson and Alonso rumoured to leave, there will be a spot in the squad that needs filling, and why replace the outgoings with expensive backups when you could use the 25 year old who has quality in his play but also possesses the ability to grow into the position.

Armando Broja – 19 – Striker

With reports coming out that Olivier Giroud could be on his way out the door this summer and English talent Tammy Abraham being unflavoured by Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea, there looks to be an opening for a rotational piece up front for the Blues (I wouldn’t consider Kai Havertz or Timo Werner out and out strikers). It’s no secret that Roman Abramovic will more than likely splash the cash on a big name number 9 this summer but, all good teams need depth at all positions to succeed. And having a backup striker who can score is imperative to success. Armando Broja meets the requirements of a player who fits that profile. After a successful loan spell in Holland last season with Vitesse where he scored 10 goals in 30 games, the Albanian gunman will be looking to come back and impress his German manager in pre season. Broja will only be 20 years of age come the start of next season so he has plenty of room to grow as a player, and as someone who is already performing at a high level, scoring a 6.78 whoscored rating last season for an underwhelming Vitesse side which struggled to create chances, it makes for an exciting prospect. Very fast and an eye for goal,makes for some of his stronger attributes. At youth level, the Albanian was dominant. Scoring 9 goals in 9 under 18 games and scored 5 goals in only 4 FA youth cup games. So I see Armando as a prospect who has the ability to explode this coming season. Potentially starting in the odd cup game or to apply relief to Chelsea’s star striker in league games. A 10/15 goal season wouldn’t be out the realms of possibility for the youngster. And I definitely want to see him succeed in a blue shirt.

Marc Guéhi – 20 – Centre Back

An ageing 36 year old Thiago Silva has one year remaining on his Chelsea contract after an extension saw his one year deal turn into two last month. And teammate Kurt Zouma may be looking to find game time else where to progress his career, so, there looks like there may be an opening at the back for Chelsea next season. And, with Thomas Tuchel looking to keep with the 3 at the back formation, reinforcements at the position will be necessary. Step up 20 year old Marc Guehi. The young Englishman had a breakout season last year playing in Wales for Swansea, where he led his side to the Championship playoff final. A disappointing night at Wembley shouldn’t retract from the fact that Guehi had an outstanding campaign where he received back to back man of the match performances in his 2 knockout games against Barnsley in the playoff semi final. His regular season performances were also stellar, scoring an average of 6.90 whoscored rating across his 43 Championship games. Guehi’s stats were also impressive, making 3.2 tackles and interceptions per game and also won 3.3 aerial duels, which is made even more impressive when you realise he stands at a modest 6ft. A great blend of strength and real tackling ability makes Guehi a real rock at the heart of a defence and, Chelsea would be wise to capitalise on his strengths and integrate the Englishman into their side come August. I’m sure Chelsea fans wouldn’t want another situation where a talented youth product leaves the blues to find consistent game time elsewhere and shines. Tomori cough cough*

Trevoh Chalobah – 21 – Holding Midfielder

One player in the Chelsea loan army who surprised last season was young Englishman and ex Chelsea player Nathaniel Chalobah’s brother Trevoh. The 21 year old spent last season out on loan at french side Lorient where he really impressed and picked up 2 man of the match awards in his 24 games for the club. One standout aspect of the youngsters game was his versatility. He played at both centre back and holding midfield, which both happen to be positions of need for the Blues. Chalobah scored 2 goals and assisted a further 2 more which is a fairly solid output from the positions he played in. To put it into perspective, Chelsea target Declan Rice who would cost upwards of £80million provided 3 goals and assists combined in 32 league games last term. Rice also has a whoscored rating of 7.01 whereas Chalobah scored a very respectable 6.82. Yes this is a drop off, but you’re saving a lot of money and you’re promoting a youth player to the first team (I am aware Rice was once also a Chelsea youth player), and you’re getting someone who can fill gaps in multiple positions to a high standard. At 6ft3 he is physically imposing with good technical ability, but his defensive attributes are what makes the youngster standout. Completing 4.54 tackles and interceptions, puts the youngster in the top 80th percentile in his position. Add that with his ability to be able to dribble out of difficult positions and you’ve got a real talent on your hands. And, at only 21 Thomas Tuchel will be able to mould the youngster into whatever he wants.

5 Striker alternatives to Erling Haaland for Chelsea

A fantastic end to the 2020/2021 seasons saw Chelsea football club reach the pinnacle of club football and lift the Champions League trophy in Porto against their big spending rivals Manchester City. Although on the surface it may look as though the London club are sitting pretty but, they do have holes in areas of the field that could well do with improving in order for them to stand a chance at retaining their European success next season. One of these areas, and the area that we are highlighting today is the forward position. 12 months ago the Blues thought they had sorted the position when Russian billionaire Roman Abramovic splashed out over £100 million on German stars Timo Werner and Kai Hazertz from RB Leipzig and Bayern Leverkusen respectively. Although both stars were young and inexperienced in their new league, they did not live up to the high expectations put upon them when they signed in the summer. Although both flashed brillliance in spells, their overall goal scoring form was far from stellar. Timo Werner, who scored 28 goals in 34 league games the previous season in Germany only managed a measly 6 in the premier league this past term and Havertz, although not totally an out and out striker scored only 4 in 27. Chelsea will clearly not look to replace their new young stars but, they will need to add reinforcements to the position in order to elevate their play in the final third. With the likes on Mason Mount and American standout Christian Pulisic, the West London side are far from lacking creativity. So, Thomas Tuchels side just need an efficient gunman to finish off all those created chances.

One man, who has shone across Europe this season has been Norwegian star Erling Haaland from Broussard Dortmund. Scoring 41 goals in 41 games in all club competitions this past season. At only 20 years old, the young standout still (scarily) has room to improve and given time, will surely end up being one of the top 3-5 players in the world, if not already. With that being said, it makes sense that all the top clubs from around Europe will be calling Dortmund and his agent Mino Raiola in the hunt for the forwards signature. Striker hungry Chelsea are also one of these teams. One thing to consider when talking about a Haaland transfer is that he has a particular clause in his contract. This clause states that at the start of the 2022 summer transfer window, the young Norwegian powerhouse will be available for between €75-€100 million. Which is a bargain in the current market for a player of his age and ability. Tuchels side however, is void of a true striking talent this season and may look to negotiate with the Bavarian side this summer in order to land the player, but obviously at a much higher price. Luckily for the blues, they have a expert negotiator in Marina Granovskaia. But even the Russian football director would struggle to negotiate for anything under £120million and it has even been reported it may take as much as £150million to land the Dortmund star.

With all this being said, even though Haaland would be the best striker available for the Blues, they may need to look at alternative options as they may be priced out of a move for the Norwegian. They may also not want to pay such a large fee if they believe they have a strong chance at signing the youngster next season for a much cheaper fee. So now let’s look at 5 other options that Chelsea can explore to improve their offensive line and push for a Premier League trophy. I’d also like to quickly mention that not all of these players have necessarily been linked with Chelsea in recent weeks, I just feel as though the five options I’ve selected would make sense in coming to the blues and it would be a beneficial move for both parties. So please no hate, as this list was just compiled for a bit of fun and maybe a way to start a conversation. So let’s go!

1. Robert Lewandowski – Bayern Munich (age 32)

Now I’m starting this list off with a bang. The Polish star, in my opinion, has been the best player in the world in the past 24 months. Leading Bayern Munich to 2 Bundesliga titles and a Champions League trophy in that time, the talismanic star has played an outstanding role in getting his side to the top. Breaking legendary footballer Gerd Mullers record by scoring 41 league goals in a single season just demonstrates Lewandowskis desire to get the ball in the back of the net. This is a trait that Chelsea have been desperately looking for this past season. And with Tammy Abraham and Olivier Giroud apparently out the door at Stamford Bridge next season, they need someone to come in and compete with Werner and Havertz for the position. Pair his 41 goals with his 7 assists in 29 league games it makes for an unbelievable player that you can’t pass up the opportunity to get. And though it may seem as though Bayern have no reason to sell their star man, it would not be surprising if they gave in if a bid of £50+ million came in for the player who will be 33 by the time the new season starts up. It will be a win win for both teams. Bayern will get a large fee for a player who they will more than likely be unable to get anywhere near for in a few years time and Chelsea get a world class player to come in and fill a hole for two or three years while they search for their next young star. Lewandowski himself has not ruled out a move away stating ‘ I remain open minded. I am always curious to learn a new language, a new culture. But whether that be in football or after my career, even I don’t know’. So all I can say is, although it may appear unlikely, watch this space. His performances at the Euros may also bring spotlight to the players transfer speculation.

2. Memphis Depay – Lyon (age 27)

By the time you read this Depay could have already put pen to paper on a deal with Barcelona. But, I feel he could be a great addition to the Blues squad. Although not an out and out striker, Memphis Depay has all the traits that make for a good goal scorer. Physical and great on the ball. The Dutchman has the speed and dribbling ability to scare opposing defenders as he looks to take them on in both wide and central areas. Completing 2.4 dribbles and creating 2.7 key passes a game this past season shows he’s a creator as well as an attacker. Depay provided 12 assists in Ligue Un last season and scored 20 goals as well. Showing off one of the strongest aspects to his game. Now where I make the connection from Chelsea to Depay is the potential price tag. This is set at £0. This is because his contract has expired with current club Lyon. This would mean that the Blues could save massively in a transfer fee and look to spend big elsewhere in other positions of need, e.g defensive midfield. Many will remember Depay’s time in in the Premier League with top of the table rivals Manchester United. Back in 2015 the Netherlands international was signed from PSV with all the hopes that he will become United’s next Cristiano Ronaldo. But, the then 21 year old struggled to impress and scored a measly 2 league goals before being shipped off to France. In the 5 years since. Depay has transformed himself into an international superstar (his 10 million Instagram followers backs this up) and his desire to succeed in Europe has only greatened. So I feel that the Blues would be smart to enquire about the player and hopefully pluck him from under the nose of Barcelona just as PSG did with fellow countryman Gini Wijnaldum.

3. Alexander Isak – Real Sociedad (age 21)

Alexander Isak looks to have a breakout Euros with Sweden this month. And after impressing in his minutes on the pitch in his opening game versus Spain, he definitely looks to have turned a lot of heads. At 6ft3 the young Swede has an impressive muscular frame that he has managed to pair with his somewhat surprising speed and classy footwork. He can receive the ball to feet and also run in behind the defence with intelligent back shoulder runs. As a versatile striking option, he could add a lot to a goal scorer needy team. And at only 21 he can improve his game as well. Scoring 17 goals in 34 La Liga games for an underwhelming Sociedad side really raised the young stars transfer stock. Chelsea are team that have had players like Drogba, Abraham and Costa shine in previous years and Isak definitely fits the mould of big and physical player, but also has the ability to put the ball in the back of the net. With a reported transfer value of around 40-50 million pounds. It may be worth having a punt on the Swedish star and hoping that he can develop into a 20+ goal a season player in the most competitive league in Europe. another thing to note is that the Sociedad player once played for Haaland Dortmund and the German team have a 30million euro buyback on the player. So there could be an indication that if Chelsea do indeed go after the Norwegian, the Swede could be on his way back to Germany to play in front of the yellow wall.

4. Antoine Griezmann – Barcelona (age 30)

The France and Barcelona star is a one time Balon d’or 3rd place recipient and a 2016 European team of the season member. With such respected individual accolades as well as major trophies for club and country such as a World Cup winners medal with France and Super Cup with Athletico Madrid, it’s no surprise that back in 2019 Barcelona paid €120 million for the Frenchman. Since his transfer, Griezmann has somewhat underwhelmed in Catalonia. Scoring 22 goals in 71 games for Barcelona doesn’t quite reflect the price tag, even though the numbers themselves aren’t that bad. Griezmann has the technical ability to shine in both wide areas and as a central striker. And at 30 years of age, he still has a lot of energy left in the tank to provide some much needed quality to any team that can pay for his services. Although only bought in 2019 for an astronomical fee, Barcelona may look to sell on the Frenchman as the club are in somewhat of a financial crisis. They need to raise funds to repay back debts and Antoine might be on the firing line and Barca are never afraid to pull the trigger. With all of their financial woes, the Spanish club have not been afraid to bring in new players this summer. After already bringing in Argentine legend Sergio Aguero and, a deal for Memphis Depay looking to be completed in coming days they aren’t afraid to improve up front. And with that many attackers on the book, adding to the likes of Messi, Dembele and Ansu Fati, there may not be a place in Ronald Koeman’s squad for Griezmann. Though the Frenchman has not had the life in his new Spanish home that he would have hoped, he may find a new, and more exciting home in West London. Barcelona look to be willing to make a massive loss on the Frenchman and Chelsea may be able to get a player of such high quality with years of playing left in him for as little as £50million. Pairing the French World Cup star with the likes of Mason Mount and Kai Havertz could make for some scary watching come August.

Cristiano Ronaldo – Juventus (age 36)

Now I know this seems like the most unlikely option of the lot, and I agree it’s somewhat a farce. But this seemingly nonsensical opinion does actually have a smidge of logic with it. The 5 time Balon d’or winner looks to have ended his time with Italy and is looking for a new challenge in what appears to be the twilight of his career. PSG seems to be the most likely destination but I’m not sure that the likes of Ronaldo, Neymar and Mbappe can coexist in a team that is already laden with star power. Manchester United is another option for the Portuguese super star but with United’s past transfer history. I wouldn’t expect them to be able to negotiate for the ex Old Trafford legend (I’m happy to be proven wrong). So could we see a shock move to Chelsea? The Blues have the funds to bring him in (50 million is the fee reported), and they will be able to get a return on his astronomical wages by way of advertising and shirt sales (you’d best believe I’ll be buying a shirt if he moves to Chelsea!). Ronaldo has already experienced the Premier League and has stated his love for the competitiveness of the league, and the allure of a city like London can only help add to the CR7 brand. Back to football though, and what Ronaldo can still bring to a club, even at 36 is evident. He scored 29 goals in 33 Serie A games for Juventus this past season and achieved a 7.57 whoscored rating across all competitions, which is an elite score amongst European strikers. This is higher that the likes of stars Romelu Lukaku and Luis Suarez. He shone in a somewhat dull affair in Portugal’s opening game in the Euros against Hungary, where he put the ball in the back of the net twice. This goes to show that even in games where he may be ‘under performing’ he can be the difference maker at any point. Chelsea are crying out for a player up front of CR7s quality. You know what to do Roman!

5 Midfield alternatives to Declan Rice for a Chelsea

Now, I’d like to start this post by pointing out the fact that I do indeed love Declan Rice as a transfer option for Chelsea this summer. however, West Ham have evaluated his price to be around 70-80 million pounds, and that, could be seen by many as way overpriced, and the epitome of English player tax! Rice has shown all throughout this season and going back to last year that he can hold it down as an anchor in the midfield in the premier league, averaging around 4.5 tackles and interceptions per 90mins. This leaves Chelsea fan trembling with anticipation over the prospect of a Rice and Kante pivot holding it down in the center of the park, allowing for the rest of the Chelsea players to focus on what they do best (attack) and flourish.

Although the London based side will still be living off the high of lifting the biggest trophy in club football, you could say that they still have holes in their squad that need filling. Kante is obviously the standout performer in the Blues side but apart from the Frenchman, there are question marks over the star midfielders counterparts. Mateo Kovacic came into this season off the back of lifting the Chelsea player of the year award, but, after an injury hit season, that saw his form dip from 7.01 whoscored rating in 19/20 to a still somewhat respectable 6.85 this past year. His regular Italian partner Jorginho also had the ability to equal parts frustrate and amaze throughout the campaign. But, his lack of athleticism does create problems for Thomas Tuchels side. The fourth and final midfield option that the Blues currently have under their active squad is young Scotsman Billy Gilmour. Although he’ll be revelling in the fact he gained his first Scotland cap a few days ago, he’s still too inexperienced and needs refining before he can be a consistent starter at the next level.

However, as previously mentioned, West Ham will try to drive a hard bargain. Especially considering they’ll want to keep hold of their start man now that they’ve secured European football for the first time in their history for next season. The money that could be splurged on Rice could be spent in other areas that may be seen as more of a problem area for the reigning European champions. Striker for example. So getting a cheaper, yet maybe of a similar quality player to Rice, may be seen as the best option for Blues director Marina Granovskaia.

With all that being said, today we will look at 5 alternatives to Declan Rice that the West London side could look at to improve their midfield come next season starting in August. By no means are any of these guys wholly realistic, or have even been rumoured in the past weeks to join Chelsea. But, I just feel that they would make for potentially outstanding fits in the side.

1. Nicolo Barella – Inter Milan

We’re starting this list off with a bang. Nicolo Barella is an exciting and yet rugged midfielder that will give his all for the badge. Those are the sort of attributes that Tuchel will be looking to add to his side. Barella clocks in at a modest 5’8, and pairing him with Kante will make for a particularly small midfield 2. However, both of their defensive numbers show no sign that they will struggle against more opposing midfields. The young Italian, only 24 years old, produced 2.3 tackles and interceptions per 90 in the league this past season for the Nerazzurri and also provided 7 assists, which shows his ability both as a defender but also as a creator. He also has experience in playing Conte’s 5 at the back formation, which is similar to Tuchels, so hopefully he’ll require no time at all to get up to speed with the German Managers tactics. The Italian maestro has been heavily linked with a move away from Milan in the past months, and cross country rivals Juventus have been heavily favoured to snag the young star. However, if the Blues are looking to make a splash in the transfer market and pick up this gem, it will likely set the London side back around 50-70million pounds, which upon reflection is a similar price range to Declan Rice, but I feel Barella as a whole is a lot more of a cultured footballer with more to offer Tuchels side.

2. Aurelien Tchouameni – Monaco

The young Frenchman had an outstanding breakout season in Ligue Un for Monaco this past season. He even secured the award for the leagues best young player. Tchouameni profiles as a physical defensive midfielder with great passing range (must be learning from Fabregas) and great tackling ability. The past few weeks have actually seen him already be linked with Chelsea. And I feel that he would be a great squad player that will eventually have the ability to take over from an ageing Ngolo Kante. Providing an impressive 5.2 tackles and interceptions in the league this year shows that, at still the ripe young age of 21, he has the ability to hang with the big boys. His 5 goal contributions also shows that he can score and create even from further back on the field. Monaco will likely ask for 30-40 million pounds for the Frenchman’s services but I feel that the young standout who rocked a 7.16 whoscored rating will be able to make an instant impact and perform on the field to a Declan Rice standard from the off. Let’s just hope it’s not another Bakayoko signing.

3. Manuel Locatelli – Sassuolo

Classy on the ball and not afraid to put in a sturdy challenge, Locatelli would fit perfectly into the Chelsea midfield. The 23 year old Italian had a breakout season in Serie A this past year with Sassuolo, scoring 4 goals and recording 2 assists. Those stats don’t jump off of the screen but, his underlying numbers tell a different story. Contributing to goals isn’t the strong point in his game, as it’s not the strong point in Rice’s game either ( 3 goal contributions in the league in 20/21 season). Where the Italian does excel however, is in his metronomic passing (similar to Jorginho). Locatelli averaged 80 passes a game in the league and completed 88% of them. This shows that he is comfortable on the ball and he’s also equally adept in receiving the ball in tight areas and recycling the ball further up the pitch. I see Locatelli pairing up best with Kante in a midfield 2 as he has the physical abilities to cover defensively and also be the more progressive passer of the two. Whereas Kante will be able to receive the ball and dribble through the lines. The signing of Locatelli itself will be difficult as Italian giants Juventus are circling the player like a shark and, Pep Guardiola of Manchester City also looks to be interested. A strong performance in the Euros could also raise his price tag, but, if Chelsea want to pounce on the chance of signing the young star, they may be able to land his signature for around 30-40 million pounds.

4. Julian Weigl – Benfica

One rumour that seems to be sporadically popping up in the past few weeks is Julian Weigl to Chelsea. Reports suggest that Thomas Tuchel is an admirer of the 25 year old German international. Although not the sexy signing that most Blues fans will be hoping for this season, Weigl is a safe pick that won’t command constant minutes. The 25 million price tag is probably most appealing to the West London outfit. Especially after splashing out around 200 million pounds last summer. Weigl reports obviously don’t swirl up too much excitement but in essence, he’s still a very good player. This is backed up by his 116 Broussard Dortmund caps and his 5 appearances for the German national team, and getting into a midfield starring Kroos, Kimmich and Gundogan is no easy feat. As of his style of play, he features as a wall in front of the defence. Making tackles and interceptions and breaking up the oppositions attacks. He averaged 3.2 tackles and interceptions in all competitions this past season. However, for all of his quality protecting the back line, he offers very little going forward. The German has only scored 6 goals in his whole competitive career, and not provided a single assist. Another slight on the German defensive midfielder is that he left a very competitive Germany to play in a less competitive Portuguese league where, he hasn’t particularly shown out amongst his counterparts. In my honest opinion, as a transfer target for Chelsea, I hope they don’t try to make a run at Weigl. Your move Granovskaia.

5. Franck Kessie – AC Milan

A young 21 year old Kessie was linked with the Blues back in 2018 whilst the London side were under the tutelage of the pragmatic Antonio Conte. Now, three years later, the 24 year old Ivorian hasn’t seen his name linked with too many of Europe’s elite sides. However, after an impressive 20/21 campaign, I feel as though the athletic Milan player is ready for a step up in his career. Kessie’s numbers were very impressive this year. Producing 13 goals and providing a further 4 assists from a primarily defensive midfield position. Although admittedly 11 of those goals were penalties. If he were to replace Jorginho in the team, the Blues would need an emphatic penalty taker. Kessie fits the billing. Not only is Kessie clinical in front of goal. He is very impressive defensively, and pairing him with Kante, attackers will have to work very hard to break down any blocks that Tuchel creates. Kessie’s 7.15 whoscored rating this past season also backs up the opinion that he’s ready to compete amongst the best in the champions league (I’m aware Milan are in the champions league next year regardless). The only stumbling block in this potential transfer is whether Roman Abramovic would be willing to shell out 50million for the Ivorian. In my opinion, I’d say it would be worth it.