Chelsea’s renditions in the second half of last season clearly indicated that they need to dive into the transfer market this summer. There were some glaring issues which popped up every now and then as they missed out on Champions League qualification by finishing fifth in the Premier League.
With David Luiz almost certain to have played his last game for the club and Gary Cahill getting no younger, the Blues need a new centre-back. Cesc Fabregas is now 31 years old and doesn’t have the same energy to cover grounds in midfield.
The Blues did buy midfielders Tiemoue Bakayoko and Daniel Drinkwater last summer but the duo failed to make much of an impact. Therefore, a new midfielder should be on Chelsea’s shopping list.
The London club also require to sign a new striker. Alvaro Morata was bought last summer to fill the void created by Diego Costa’s departure.
However, the former Real Madrid striker didn’t cover himself in glory with a prosaic first season at the club. Hence, the Blues need to find a new striker as Morata or Olivier Giroud won’t fill them with great credence.
So, here are the three signings Chelsea can make under the new management of Maurizio Sarri and Blues legend Gianfranco Zola, who could join his former club as the Italian’s assistant.
Kalidou Koulibaly (CB)
Koulibaly was a key player for Sarri at Napoli. The Senegalese is a centre-back of the highest quality in every aspect of his game. He is tall, has the physique to shrug off centre-forwards with ease, while also being nimble footed with the ball.
The 27-year-old’s passing accuracy and range are prodigious (his passing accuracy was 91.2% in Serie A last season). He has a precise long ball rate of 3.5 per game, which is clearly indicative of his abilities with the ball at his feet.
Koulibaly is strong in the air as well. He is a genuine threat from set-pieces, having scored 5 goals in Serie A last term. On the defensive side of things, his key tackling and interception rate is more than one per game. He is the kind of player Chelsea need to bolster their defence.
Jean Michael Seri (CM)
Seri has been linked with various clubs in the past two transfer windows. The Nice midfielder has been a sensation thus far in the French league. And it wouldn’t be surprising to see him playing for a big European club next season.
For Chelsea, getting the Ivorian must be an utmost priority. Fabregas was an instant hit upon his arrival in 2014 but age is starting to catch up with him. Seri will add stamina, work-rate and quality on the ball to Chelsea’s midfield, which will also suit the way N’Golo Kante plays as a defensive midfielder.
Robert Lewandowski (ST)
If Chelsea want their star players, namely Eden Hazard to stay, they need to spend big this summer. And signing Lewandowski from Bayern would be a perfect statement of intent. The Polish striker has also stated his desire to leave the current German champions.
For the London club, acquiring Alvaro Morata from Real Madrid last summer didn’t pay dividends. Morata made some glaring misses last season and if the Blues do manage to sign Lewandowski, it will be a monumental signing.