Chelsea: What should be their transfer priorities this summer?

As is the case every year, this summer is no different as Chelsea keep getting linked with every top player in the continent. But surprisingly, they have not signed anybody or confirmed anything as yet, and this seems a little off-track. Some activity must happen to ensure continuity; we have regularly seen stagnating squads being left behind in the past as their rivals strengthened. Hence, there will surely be new arrivals and departures, and since we are still in the early days of the transfer window, let us try figuring out what Roman and his advisers may be planning to do in the near future, because, there are certain issues that need serious addressing.

Starting with the manager, it is still not confirmed whether Jose Mourinho will indeed be the man leading Chelsea next season. One may disagree and question me for doubting what seems so obvious, forgive me if I am wrong, but has there ever been any confirmation from Chelsea’s side that talks with the Portuguese are on-going? Have Chelsea made any statement at all regarding their manager? The only official statement regarding the position of manager was a parting message thanking Rafa Benitez and wishing him well, with no word on the in-coming gaffer. Another reason for me in doubting Jose’s potential return is the possible opening at PSG since Carlo Ancelotti looks very keen to leave. The prospect of winning silverware in yet another country might seem very tempting for him, perhaps, more tempting than a home-coming in London.

Then who are the other candidates for the job? Carlo returning would be the next best thing to happen to Mourinho’s return, but Real Madrid’s interest complicates matters. Jupp Heyckens will leave Bayern with his future looking unclear. Some outside candidates include Jurgen Klopp (again, why would he want to leave Dortmund?), Roberto Martinez (looks like he is on his way to Everton), Guus Hiddink (currently at Anzhi), and the just fired Roberto Mancini, after whom, the shortlist can only be filled by the likes of Tony Pulis and Martin O’Neill. No disrespect intended, but the latter ones are not big enough names to lead Chelsea. Unless we rule out Roman doing an AVB again, a mistake he is unlikely to repeat. We can safely say that Jose Mourinho is the most probable manager for the future. But, as is the case with the owner and Chelsea, you never know what’s coming! An early announcement of the manager will do a world of good, and it gives time for him to settle, and focus solely on the window. (Petr Cech stressed upon this a few days ago)

It is a well known fact that Roman Abramovich has a separate group to handle transfers, and the manager, however big name he may be, has next to zero say in those decisions. This is precisely what led to disagreements and Mourinho’s eventual departure in the past. So unless that aspect has been negotiated and sorted out, (it has been, as reported by the media), Mourinho will not come. For now, casting my doubts about Mourinho aside, let’s safely assume that he will be the man leading Chelsea next season, with complete control over transfers. Then, which are the areas he needs to address?

Beginning with the striker department, it is obvious that Demba Ba was only brought in to relieve the pressure on Fernando Torres last season following Sturridge’s sale to Liverpool. Now that he has served his cause (remarkably well too, for a backup), we can expect to see him a little less frequently. Romelu Lukaku is back again following an extremely successful loan spell, perfectly summed up by his final days heroics against Manchester United. He must definitely be a regular next season. He has the pace of the old Torres, combined with the strength of Didier Drogba, and to cap it all off, he is just 20. Chelsea should not let such a huge future superstar slip from their grasp. At this stage, all that Lukaku needs is one full season at Chelsea making regular appearances under pressure, and trust me, if they do let him gain that crucial experience for one or two seasons, they will soon rejoice finding Drogba’s successor. This potential legend should not be let out on loan again. It would be dangerous if he starts losing his sense of loyalty towards his parent club due to loan spells, and it would be an even bigger disaster if he requests for a permanent transfer in future.

Assuming that he stays, the striker department is left with an almost back to form Fernando Torres, a shining light in Romelu Lukaku and a proven Premier League backup in Demba Ba. Given Jose’s preference to field one striker formations, having a choice of three would be the ideal situation (we have seen Spurs struggle with Defoe and Adebayor – an injury to one heaped the pressure on the other to stay fit due to the absence of a backup). Then, all three will be on their toes trying to cement their position; such competition always looks healthy for any team.

Now that Lukaku has been sorted out, is there any need now to sign another striker? A big no from my side. The board, or Mourinho, based on our earlier assumption, must not go for any of Cavani, Hulk, Schurrle, Lewandowski, or Rooney (definitely the latter will bring more problems than solutions). The current trio must be trusted for one season at least instead of needlessly splashing the cash on a big name striker hoping for instant returns. We do not want any more striker struggles here after Torres and Sheva, do we?

The goalkeeping needs a look as well. Hilario and Turnbull have been released. Hilario has been a great servant of the club, an experienced backup who could be trusted, and it was sad to see him depart along with an equally respectable Paulo Ferreira. As for Ross Turnbull, it was obvious that he was only a stop gap, and it was in his best interests at this stage to seek fresher pastures. This leaves Petr Cech and Jamal Blackman as the only recognized backups. Blackman will not be around the first team any time soon, so this creates a very tricky situation. A recall for Courtois would mean certain rotation between him and Cech. Neither of the two will be happy with that arrangement. Besides, it just does not work. Sir Alex initially tried it with Lindegaard and de Gea, but prematurely ditched the rotation plan following some bizarre mix-ups. Courtois does not deserve to warm the bench at all, and would happily accept another season at Athletico Madrid.  So, a stop gap back-up for Cech is needed. Thus, it would be ideal to sign a keeper in the last stages of his career, looking for one final contract before calling it quits. Under such conditions, names like Shay Given, Brad Friedel or Mark Schwarzer instantly come to mind (in this case, it would be good for Fulham as well – it frees up space for them to field David Stockdale), and it wouldn’t cost much getting them.

The defense looks well settled and does not require drastic changes. Gary Cahill, David Luiz, and Branislav Ivanovic have all been equally solid in central defense. In John Terry‘s case, last season provided a slight indication that he has reached the cliff and cannot start games as regularly as in the past. To compensate for Terry’s waning powers, David Luiz featuring once in a while in midfield, and Ivanovic playing at right back sometimes, signing another central defender is a necessity. Not necessarily a big name, but one with a proven Premier League record will do (a signing as astute as Gary Cahill was, for example). The left back position is well covered – Ashley Cole heads into his last year at Chelsea, Ryan Bertrand and Patrick van Aanholt will fight it out for his spot in future. So this position needs no addressing for now. Similarly at right back, Ivanovic and Azpilicueta did a decent job last season, and a new signing there will only hamper Azpilicueta’s progress.

Options in the double pivot are plenty. Michael Essien and Nathaniel Chalobah return from their loan spell, so does Josh McEachran (if you remember, he was once being touted as the next Lampard, but sadly, due to bad management, he has been needlessly forced out twice on loan). Oriol Romeu is fit again, Ramires is one of the best in the position, and Lampard needs no describing. Adding David Luiz into the mix, we get a good number of options for two starting positions, so no further addition here is required. If the rumors of Fellaini and Alonso are true, they will only serve to create an unwanted problem of plenty.

The attacking trio of ‘Mazacar’ is definitely one of the best trinities in business at the moment, and the backups have already shown that they can make their mark. Victor Moses is one to watch out for, and Lucas Piazon must appear regularly too, if he is not loaned out. The only surprising issue is Marko Marin here. Following all the ‘German Messi’ tags and the hype surrounding his move, he was expected to feature heavily last season. Sadly, his grand total time on the pitch resembled that of Abou Diaby rather than Oscar or Hazard, and one must begin thinking why he was signed in the first place.

Mourinho must sort out Marko Marin’s situation before addressing other areas of midfield. If he wants to play Marko, the latter is worth keeping. If more of the same looks likely to be the case, then we may have seen the last of him already. It is Mourinho’s choice to decide. And then, there is Kevin de Bruyne. One and a half year on Chelsea’s books and not one appearance for them (barring friendlies) yet tells its own story. First loaned back to his old club, and then to Werder Bremen last season, de Bruyne has caught the eye in the Bundesliga and is already on Dortmund’s radar. Why are Chelsea so blind to the obvious that he is an extremely talented player? Why is his future still unclear? Having gained good experience, he should push the holy trinity to the limit at Chelsea. Instead, he is being used as a bait for getting Andre Schurrle!

So should this be Chelsea’s transfer strategy this summer? They need to confirm Mourinho as their manager first. Lukaku must not be loaned out, so, no new striker must be signed. They must play with what they’ve got on board and see how it goes. One central defender is an absolute necessity, if not world class, then at least one with local experience. Goalkeeping needs a new face as well in the form of a veteran to cover for Petr Cech till Courtois can be eased into Cech’s position for the long term. The futures of Marko Marin and Kevin de Bruyne need to be sorted out urgently, and David Luiz’s preferred position must be decided. Sometimes last season, the squad looked short on numbers, so keeping McEachran and Piazon would work out well. Frank Lampard will be eased out and they can take his place.

Summary

First team appearances for some returning loanees, a back up goalie, and a center back are all what Chelsea ideally need for next season. If they can finalize that early, and if rumours of Ronaldo are realised (only a very optimistic Chelsea fan can bet on that, but with Roman you never know, who thought he would sign Torres?), then Jose’s second stint is ready to take shape. The future looks bright!