This season might not be over yet, but Chelsea are already signalling their intend for next season. Hakim Ziyech has already been signed ahead of next season, and if reports are correct, RB Leipzig striker, Timo Werner is also on his way to Stamford Bridge.
Trying to bridge the gap, and catch first Manchester City, and ultimately Liverpool is no easy feat. The Reds have shown this season this season that they are streets ahead of everyone in the premier league. Say you want about VAR, as much as it pains me to say; Jurgen Klopp has done a marvellous job to first turn them into contenders, and then champions-elect.
As for City – Although they haven’t looked as good as they can be this season, there’s no doubt that if needed Sheik Mansour will open the cheque-book and improve the squad.
You also can’t rule out that Manchester United, Tottenham, and Arsenal will also look to improve their squads when the opportunity arises. For Chelsea it’s been a season of ‘If’s, buts, and maybe’s’. The youth revolution has been a huge success, with many thinking Frank Lampard’s youngsters would fail miserably. Instead we’ve seen the academy graduates shine. Still rough round edges, Fikayo Tomori, Mason Mount, Reece James, Billy Gilmour, and Tammy Abraham, all have bright futures at the club.
Abraham has scored 13-goals in the premier league, but is young and still learning his trade. He has shown at Championship level he can be prolific. At Bristol City he netted 23-league goals, and last season an impressive 25-goals for Aston Villa. However, Chelsea lack a prolific proven top level goalscorer.
Michy Batshuayi looks surplus to requirements after failing to impress Lampard. Olivier Giroud is set to stay after a 12-month extension was triggered on his contract. A very good squad player, who offers fabulous link-up play, and a super-sub with bags of experience, but not the prolific goalscorer the Blues need.
The Blues have scored 51-goals this season so far. A long way behind the top-two, with 66, and 68 respectively. Now, you can argue that more goals from the midfield is what’s missing. There’s also no doubt that defensive reinforcements, and a possible replacement for Kepa Arrizabalaga is needed. But that’s another topic to touch on in the future.
We haven’t seen a prolific goalscorer at the Bridge for a few years. Didier Drogba had two great seasons where he helped fire us to titles. Although in truth he was all about the big games. Diego Costa had the energy, the attitude, the goals. Maybe not prolific, but the Spaniard added a spark to our attack.
Step forward Timo Werner. The German IS prolific. The striker has 25-Bundesliga goals in 30-games this season. Overall during his time at RB Leipzig he scored 75-goals, in 123-appearances. Werner is the inform striker in Europe right now. The Premier League is ‘a big step up’ many will say. Let’s now forget Batshuayi had a short spell at Dortmund that saw him hit some kind of form.
As mentioned earlier- Chelsea do need to improve the squad in other areas to make a real attempt to challenge their rivals, but the potential Werner offers to fire twenty odd plus goals a season could prove significant.
One thing is for sure… The Blues aren’t messing about in the transfer market, and despite the financial uncertainties in football at the moment, Chelsea are strangely reaping the rewards from the transfer ban. Now money is available due to the lack of spending, and as we already know, a number of youngsters have been given, and taken the opportunity to potentially become stars at Stamford Bridge for many years to come.
