• March 9, 2022
• Dan Hill

With Chelsea Football Club being thrown into a myriad of uncertainty given Roman Abramovich’s decision to sell the club, all plans and strategies have been cast aside while the powers that be navigate a transition of power to a still-to-be-decided owner. Though doubt may be the reality, the football world will not wait. Beginning the 2021/22 season with the goal of cutting the gap to Manchester City and Liverpool in the Premier League, the Blues have largely failed to do so. To properly plug that gap, Chelsea’s powers that be, whoever they are, need to get this summer transfer window right.

Resolve Contract Disputes

The first and most pressing matter is arguably the hardest to resolve: that of three important players being out of contract. Defenders Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and captain Cesar Azpilicueta have contracts expiring in June 2022.

At the time of writing, Christensen looked set to join Barcelona, per multiple reports. While that will be a blow to Chelsea, a swift resolution to one of the three cases at least allows for some forward planning in one position. To have to replace all three players, though, as well as recruit in other areas could be a tall order for any new owner. Thus, solving the situations of Rudiger and Azpilicueta will be key.

Similarly linked with Barcelona, captain Azpilicueta’s loss may be the most profound. A true leader by example and a player who can perform to a very good level in virtually every position across defense, ‘Azpi’ will be irreplaceable should he leave. Moreover, having someone with the experience, the knowledge and love for Chelsea to guide the playing staff into a new era under new owners would be an idyllic scenario. Now more than ever, keeping the captain looks more than a shrewd piece of business.

Antonio Rudiger’s case looked all but decided at the end of 2021 as all signs pointed to a departure. Continuing to be relied upon as the fulcrum of the left of Chelsea’s back three, Rudiger’s world class performances and rapport with the Chelsea fans has forged a seemingly impenetrable bond that looked to have pushed him closer towards re-signing than leaving. Being under new ownership could throw that into a world of unavoidable doubt. For a player seeking the last big contract of his career to provide financial freedom and stability for his family, he may look elsewhere if the instability off the field at Chelsea rumbles on closer to the end of his contract.

While managing uncertainty has seemingly become skill number one over the last few years for the Chelsea hierarchy, the need to deliver certainty in the futures of three key defenders is paramount if the club want to avoid a talent drain and the cost of millions of pounds in transfer fees for three new defenders.

Integrate Cobham Graduates

The one huge positive that Chelsea do have, as Adam Newson from football.london recently highlighted, is a world class academy from which to draw exciting young talent.

In the last 18 months alone, three Cobham graduates – Valentino Livramento, Marc Guehi and Tariq Lamptey – have all made Premier League debuts and established themselves at Southampton, Crystal Palace, and Brighton & Hove Albion respectively. Not to mention that Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori, two players who established themselves at Chelsea, were sold to Roma and AC Milan. Both have since become indispensable for their Serie A teams.

While those five players can no longer be called upon, Chelsea have in Conor Gallagher, Billy Gilmour, Levi Colwill, Armando Broja, Tino Anjorin and Ian Maatsen six players who could be called upon to fill voids in the squad going into next season. Gallagher is already performing at a high level in central midfield for Crystal Palace, registering eight goals and three assists in 24 league appearances this season and the key creative midfielder. Similarly, Broja has been a source of constant menace for Southampton, registering six goals and an assist in 23 league appearances after a battle to establish himself in the team. Gilmour too faced spells out of the Norwich City team before being integrated under new manager Dean Smith, forming a key part in improving performances for the Canaries.

Three of these players are Premier League regulars. The other three, Colwill, Maatsen and Anjorin, have an abundance of potential. Though Anjorin was on loan to Lokomotiv Moscow for the first half of the season and has battled injury, he is one who has always been earmarked as a special creative talent. Maatsen has performed ably for Coventry City on loan, adapting well to a physically demanding league and proving he has what it takes to perform at a good level as a left wingback. The most promising of the three, Levi Colwill, has churned out man of the match performances week in, week out for Huddersfield Town from a left centreback role that Chelsea desperately need to fill should Rudiger leave.

As Newson notes in his piece, there is a great deal of uncertainty surrounding Chelsea Football Club at the moment. But what is not uncertain is the high calibre talent that the academy is developing. While new ownership may or may not spend to the same magnitude as Roman Abramovich, they could do a lot worse than rely on an abundance of exciting young talent to inspire the next generation of exciting, competitive Chelsea teams.

Clear Space

For several years Chelsea instigated a policy to maximise financial returns from playing assets. Making a reported £611million, per Swiss Ramble, over the last decade means it has been a lucrative strategy for the club.

What hasn’t been lucrative and has caused much angst amongst Chelsea fans is the inability to move on playing assets that contribute diminishing marginal playing returns. The likes of Danny Drinkwater, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Matt Miazga and Baba Rahman have made very few Chelsea appearances and have spent most of their contracts on loan.

Drinkwater is a case in point wherein Chelsea have suffered significant losses. Signed for more than £30m from Leicester City in 2017, the English midfielder’s high wages and low playing output serve as the kind of lesson Chelsea need to learn from. Signed ostensibly to partner N’Golo Kante in midfield, his ability even to provide cover for another pricey recruit, Bakayoko, was limited as injury and loss of form meant he spent large periods out.

Likewise, Bakayoko, Rahman and Miazga, though decent professionals, have never quite made the grade at Chelsea, making 43, 23 and 2 competitive appearances respectively for Chelsea but none for years.

Allowing these players to move on for the betterment of their careers and to lower the wage bill at Chelsea should be another key priority. Similarly, one policy that would greatly benefit the club is to instill a ruthlessness in their scouting department. Unless a player immediately improves the playing squad, more financial prudence should be applied and alternative, higher quality signatures pursued.

Especially with new ownership likely to be less heavy handed with finances than Roman Abramovich, targeted, thoroughly scouted, and well-planned signings need to be the order of the day.

Buy Early, Buy Early

The hallmark of the last two successful Premier League titles wins in terms of player recruitment was clear: buy early and buy well. It is not something Chelsea have done in recent seasons but is something they need to do to bridge the gap to Liverpool and Manchester City.

Ahead of the 2014/15 season, Chelsea clearly lacked a powerful, deadly finisher in attack and a creative, deep-lying playmaker in midfield. They signed Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas before a ball of that summer’s World Cup had been kicked. Similarly, they strengthened a weak area at left back with the capture of Filipe Luis from Atletico Madrid. All three players had a full pre-season with Chelsea and bedded into the side well before the season began.

Before the 2016/17 season, it was clear that a more mobile midfield partner for Nemanja Matic was needed. The club acted swiftly and decisively, plucking N’Golo Kante from then-champions Leicester City. Similar key recruitments at left wingback, Marcos Alonso, and central centre back, David Luiz, were made later in the window but the key area of weakness, midfield, was addressed quickly and decisively. It meant Kante had a full six weeks with his new teammates before the season began and Luiz, already familiar with Chelsea, and Alonso slotted into roles that were tailormade for them.

Whether this means Chelsea recruiting from within via the promotion of an academy graduate or entering the market, being proactive in the market reaps rewards. The club clearly need a defensive midfielder, possibly three new centre backs, a left wingback, and a right wingback. Being decisive in their recruitment policy will stand the club in far better stead ahead of a possible title tilt in 2022/23.

Whoever takes the helm at Chelsea Football Club will have a significant amount to work through in their in-tray very early on. To set the club on a path for success, proactivity, decisiveness, and shrewdness in recruitment should be priority number one.

Written and Edited by Dan Hill (@idanknow05)