Chelsea are set for a defensive overhaul following a poor defensive run last season as head coach Frank Lampard reportedly lists five defenders for sale, and steps up the pursuit of long time target Ben Chilwell.
Five Chelsea Defenders Put up for Sale
Chelsea Defenders Set Poor Defensive Record
Chelsea endured a gruesome and frustrating defensive outing from their players last season. The Blues conceded a whopping 54 goals – the worst of any top-half club in the Premier League – only bettering eight other clubs.
With improvement needed, Lampard intends to follow the path both Liverpool and Manchester City once took, as he plans a defensive revamp going into the transfer market.
He said: “I know that teams at the top of the game, Liverpool and Manchester City, have been through similar. I’m not saying we are going to get to that level, but similar periods in the early stages of their managers being at the club a few years ago,” per Goal.
Clear Out Expected
According to Gary Jacob of the Times, the Blues have now put up five defenders for sale in a bid to fix their defensive susceptibility.
Kurt Zouma, Marcos Alonso, Andreas Christensen and Emerson Palmieri have been named for a possible exit at the club. Neither of Alonso nor Palmieri has performed at an acceptable level for the Chelsea head coach.
It appears the club has lost patience with both Zouma and Christensen, who have stalled in their development since breaking into the first team.
Lampard admitted his defenders made too many individual errors which cost the club goals. “The numbers don’t lie,” Lampard said. “Some of the clear individual errors can’t be there if you want to keep moving forward.”
It is also reported that tireless midfielder N’Golo Kante could also exit the club after enduring an injury-riddled season. Blues outcasts Tiemoue Bakayoko and Michy Batshuayi are also available for sale while Ross Barkley’s future remains in doubt.
Chelsea Step up Chase for Chilwell
Chelsea plan to upgrade their defensive options with funds generated from the sale of the five defenders and Leicester City’s Ben Chilwell is a priority target.
Frank Lampard will step up plans to land Chilwell as he has been a longtime admirer of the Englishman.
He was one of the standout performers for the Foxes, helping keep them in the top-four for the majority of the season before getting sidelined with an injury.
Chelsea plan to complete a move for the 23-year-old and expect a reduction in Leicester’s £80 million valuation, following their failure to qualify for the Champions League.
With the addition of Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech, Chelsea’s links with players like Kai Havertz and Chilwell show Lampard is gradually building a formidable squad and one to look out for next season.
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