Romelu Lukaku, Antonio Rudiger, and Andreas Christensen are the three significant players who have left Stamford Bridge this summer, yet Chelsea is one of only two Premier League teams without a single addition.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!However, that seems to be about to change as new owner Todd Boehly has lined up a number of high-paying reinforcements ahead of the start of the new season.
Raheem Sterling, a striker for Manchester City, is supposedly available for £50 million. Thomas Tuchel’s club is also apparently interested in acquiring Nathan Ake, who has purportedly reached a personal agreement on a move back to West London.
Here, Sports Mole examines how championship contender Chelsea would line up in 2022–23 with both Sterling and Ake in their starting lineup.
Tuchel’s decision to stick with the 3-4-3 formation or switch to a back four this season is still up in the air, but with the addition of one or two central defenders, including Ake, the German manager might not see any reason to alter his approach, which has been very successful since his arrival in January 2021.
Senegalese goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who maintained 23 clean sheets in all competitions last season and is thought to be the team’s first-choice stopper ahead of Kepa Arrizabalaga, is a sure selection.
seasoned center backs The signing of the left-footed Dutchman Ake would probably force Thiago Silva, who will be 38 in September, to play as a left-sided center-back. However, Silva is still capable of performing at the greatest level and is expected to appear often at the center of a back three.
Several other center backs from across Europe, including Matthijs de Ligt and Jules Kounde, have been linked to the Blues. However, as things stand, Trevor Chalobah and Cesar Azpilicueta may compete for a spot on the right side of the back three, even though the latter’s departure from Stamford Bridge has been suggested.
Marcos Alonso and Emerson Palmieri’s futures are also said to be in doubt, but even if they were to stay at the club, Ben Chilwell, who had a trying injury-plagued 2021–22 season, is seen to be Tuchel’s first option at left wing-back. In contrast, Reece James, who plays right wing-back, will be looking to build on another strong campaign after tallying six goals and 10 assists in 39 appearances the previous year.
This season, Tuchel has a wide range of alternatives in the center of the field. Should Sterling and another prospective summer addition start often in attack, Mason Mount may move into a somewhat deeper position with Jorginho, N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, or Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Following loan stints, last season, Conor Gallagher and Billy Gilmour have returned to West London and may be used in midfield this year.
After joining Man City seven years ago, Sterling has scored 131 goals and dished out 94 assists in 337 games. The Englishman will likely play on the left side, where he did most of his work under Pep Guardiola, but he can also play down the center or on the right-wing if necessary.
Christian Pulisic and Callum Hudson-Odoi will compete for a spot on the right-wing as Hakim Ziyech’s transfer to AC Milan is still being rumored.
Kai Havertz seems to be Tuchel’s first choice to head the Chelsea attack now that Lukaku has temporarily returned to Inter Milan, however, Timo Werner and Armando Broja may challenge him if they decide to stay at Stamford Bridge this summer.
