To assist Enzo Fernandez perform to his full potential, the Blues plan to explore several options this summer.
Three crucial positions that Chelsea and Mauricio Pochettino need to fill in the summer, along with exit plans for sizable portions of each increasingly worn-out team. Many members of the current team have already lost it—both physically and mentally—and had long since before the 1-0 loss to Manchester City.
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It’s possible that the fourth defeat to Pep Guardiola’s team this year was also the least shocking. Frank Lampard’s Chelsea was unable to score against the best players in European football, not even on the day that England’s monarchs were crowned once more. The season’s total losses to City come to an unpleasant but realistic 8-0 setback.
It will need a turnover of more than 15 players this summer in addition to the correct acquisitions being made at the same time for them to approach the juggernaut that will sweep all before them in the upcoming season. Despite investing more than £550 million in a single year, the club has not addressed the foundation of the team, leaving it vulnerable, weak, and exposed.
Although it doesn’t look good for the new owners, early indications show that they are searching in the appropriate places for the next window. Even though the summer’s purchases were haphazard, there was at least some sort of a plan for the winter signings, even if it only served to cause significant squad concerns for the second half of the season.
No such errors are permissible as we enter the summer season under Pochettino. The Argentine will be on the lookout for a new goalkeeper, defensive midfielder, and a striker with his rigorous but also competitive techniques of squad construction. Some vacancies are unlikely to be filled, despite the abundance of loan players who are returning.
Romelu Lukaku may theoretically fill the striker position if his aims line up with the team’s, but a third successful marriage is far from a guarantee. In the past 12 months, the goalkeeping situation has gotten so bad that two new goalies may be required. The defensive midfielder is the area that requires attention the most.
It had been more than four years since a permanent midfield addition had been made, much less as a midfield anchor, before Enzo Fernandez signed on deadline day over five months ago. For so long, Chelsea’s illustrious history with destroyer midfielders—Nemanja Matic, Claude Makelele, and even the presence of Michael Essien in a box-to-box role—had proved beneficial. But Matic hasn’t been fully replaced by them yet.
Because of this, Fernandez has been forced into a role that is not a good fit for his diverse skill set, which is causing him problems with ball progression, impact, and creativity. He has done a decent job anyway, but if paired with the appropriate type of man next to him, the 22-year-old may accomplish much more.
Because of this, Chelsea is considering Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Declan Rice, and Manuel Ugarte among others before the summer. The majority had also been watched before this season. Denis Zakaria’s loan addition barely made a dent, and they are now back where they started.
Despite the loss to City, Lampard praised the midfield: “I liked midfield, I thought Ruben [Loftus-Cheek] was the really good, level of the game to come in and show those lovely attributes he’s got, you can see he moves with the ball. “Enzo’s attitude was great, across the back, I know we made a mistake for the goal but once we got to grips with the problems between the lines, we went in and stayed in.”
Conor Gallagher joined Fernandez and Loftus-Cheek in the middle of the park, which he again decided to fill, but it wasn’t enough to compel a successful outcome. Although each of the three has advantages, as a group they do not provide enough protection for the defense or supply for the attack.
Lavia can help in this situation. Although he had only joined Southampton from Manchester City two months before, the 18-year-old made such an impact on his Southampton debut against the Blues in August that a late bid was made for him. He was responsible for 25% of Saints’ points against Chelsea, which led to their relegation, and he is now anticipated to go and advance once more.
Fabrizio Romano claims that the Blues, who have made significant investments in teenagers and young talent, already have an advantage over their rivals. Joe Shields, Chelsea’s new director of recruitment, assisted Lavia in building a career at City and Southampton. His recent move from the south coast to SW6 may turn out to be something of a secret weapon in any future negotiations.
Other possibilities are available as well if he is not a realistic goal. Manu Kone of Borussia Monchengladbach is being kept an eye on, according to Romano. It costs about £26 million, which is a lot less than the other players mentioned.
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With players like Mason Mount, Gallagher, Loftus-Cheek, Mateo Kovacic, and N’Golo Kante all having the potential to be traded this summer, Pochettino will also need to think about the balance of his midfield. Although there is optimism that Kante and Mount would agree to new contracts, it still raises important issues that are not always answerable by spending more money on new players.
