CHELSEA have already signed two attacking players for the next season and are linked with a host more.
But surprisingly, they are yet to be solidly linked to bringing in a new centre-back.
Yes, Frank Lampard does have four decent options to choose from in Antonio Rudiger, Kurt Zouma, Andreas Christensen and Fikayo Tomori.
But none of these are stand-out defenders.
None of them take control and command the 18-yard box. None of them lead from the back. And those are the elements missing for Chelsea.
Of course, you can operate on a ‘score more goals than your opponent’ motto, but as Sir Alex Ferguson once said: “Attacks win you games, defences win you titles.”
I’d say the former Manchester United boss is perfectly suited to give that advice.
Chelsea have been rather leaky at the back this season so far, conceding 40 goals, which is the highest in the top six, and the second highest in the top nine in the Premier League.
They must fix up the back and to do this they need a more experienced and dominating centre-back, one who will organise the backline and gobble up any half chance crosses that come in.
This is essentially what they do not have currently, a John Terry or a Virgil van Dijk type centre-back. So here are some reasonably realistic defenders they should be targeting to solve those defensive issues.
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David Alaba (Bayern Munich)
The 28-year old has plenty of experience and is currently stalling on signing a new deal with Bayern.
Although he has often played as a left-back, he is also an excellent centre-back and will be more suited to that role as he reaches his late 20s.
Alaba hits every nail on the head, and Chelsea should move to test the waters here.
Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli)
Koulibaly will always make every list of ‘centre-back’s Chelsea should sign’ that I personally write up, because he is as near to perfection as the exact type of defender that Chelsea need.
But as it stands, Chelsea, and any other interested clubs, will be massively priced out of a move for the 29-year old by Napoli owner Aurelio de Laurentiis.
Declan Rice (West Ham)
Hear me out here. Rice is an underrated player, in my opinion.
Although, I was actually one of the many Chelsea fans vocal about not wanting to sign Rice when we were linked to bringing him in recently as a MIDFIELDER.
But as a centre- back, I’m all for that. He has the height and aerial ability to be dominant at the back, and although he is the youngest on this list at 21 years old, he already plays with maturity and leadership qualities and often organises his West Ham teammates.
Being a midfielder also makes him a great ball playing centre-back for Lampard’s playing out from the back system. Rice is an ideal choice in my opinion.
Lewis Dunk (Brighton)
Dunk is another player who is underrated and somehow has only been capped once by England.
This is probably due to the team he plays for, but don’t get it twisted, Dunk is an excellent commanding centre-back and also the current captain of Brighton.
He excels in organising the backline, being dominant in the air, but also being very good on the ball. Chelsea were linked with signing him back in January, and this is a very reachable target.
Diego Carlos (Sevilla)
My wildcard at the end but, make no mistake, Carlos is a top defender and he has recently been linked with Barcelona, Arsenal, and Liverpool – thus proving his quality.
The 27-year-old amazingly has not been capped for Brazil yet, but it is certainly a matter of time.
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By: Marc Mayo
Title: Five defenders Chelsea should be looking to sign in transfer window including Koulibaly, Declan Rice and Lewis Dunk
Sourced From: www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/11962534/chelsea-defenders-transfer-dunk-rice-koulibaly/
Published Date: Fri, 26 Jun 2020 12:58:27 +0000
