The 2019-20 season has undoubtedly been Chelsea FC’s worst in terms of their defensive core being exposed to the opposition attacking forces across all competitions. Letting in 54 goals in their last Premier League campaign meant that Frank Lampard’s side held the infamous record of having the worst defense amongst the Top-10 of England’s top-flight footballing division.
To add to Lampard’s worries ahead of next season, the Blues were subject to a 7-1 thrashing on aggregate at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Last-16 of the UEFA Champions League. The Chelsea FC backline was in no position to thwart the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Serge Gnabry, and Thomas Muller across both legs of the tie, despite a wide gap of four months between the two games.
The presence of four quality options at center-back in the form of Antonio Rudiger, Kurt Zouma, Andreas Christensen, and Fikayo Tomori at Lampard’s disposal has done little to relieve the stress on the Chelsea FC boss. Despite a regular rotation of the four alternatives at the heart of the backline, the Blues have been subject to a crisis on the defensive front.
It is believed that Lampard will indeed continue his summer spending spree in the transfer market and attempt to sign a new central defender for the Stamford Bridge outfit. The 42-year old, just one year into his reign at the Blues, has come under pressure to bring in additional defensive reinforcements at the club.
Here are five center-backs of the first-team caliber that the Chelsea FC boss could target this summer:
5. David Alaba
The Austrian international has been a major presence at the back for Bayern Munich for nearly a decade now. Alaba, a natural full-back, has been positioned at center-back by the new boss of the German giants Hansi Flick this past season to accommodate the emergence of Alphonso Davis at left-back.
The 28-year old has shone into his new role on the pitch despite a lack of relative experience in that position. Alaba has formed a fantastic center-back partnership with fellow long-term Bayern teammate Jerome Boateng that has helped the Bundesliga outfit seal the domestic double and remain in contention to clinch the Champions League as well.
4. Lewis Dunk
The Brighton ace looks to be on his way out of the Amex this summer with Dunk harboring hopes of joining a top-six team in the Premier League. He has been impressive for the Seagulls all season and the 28-year old certainly has the knack to star for a major English club.
Graham Potter’s side is, however, seeking a £40 million to let Dunk depart Brighton ahead of next season. The fee being demanded by the Seagulls is certainly a steep one considering the defender’s ability when compared to other options on Lampard’s shortlist.
3. Diego Carlos
The Brazilian center-back has been a standout performer for Sevilla across the La Liga side’s 2019-20 league campaign. Moreover, the 27-year old has played a hugely important role in Sevilla reaching the UEFA Europa League semi-final stage where the Spanish club go up against Manchester United.
Carlos’ showings of late have left many top European clubs on the lookout for his signing ahead of next season. With reports suggesting that Liverpool have pulled out of the race to sign the Sevilla man due to his rumored £50 million price-tag, Chelsea FC could attempt to make the move for the player.
2. Jose Maria Gimenez
The Uruguay international has courted interest from the Blues in recent months, according to reports. Gimenez is speculated to be open to the idea of moving to Stamford Bridge this summer as a first-choice option for Frank Lampard at Chelsea FC.
The 25-year old center-back has led the Atletico Madrid following the departure of long-serving Diego Godin last summer. Gimenez has marshaled Diego Simeone’s backline and has honed his leadership skills at the back, something the Chelsea FC defensive core has been found lacking in recent seasons.
1. Kalidou Koulibaly
The Napoli star defender is surely one of the most widely pursued targets this summer by a number of top clubs in world football. The Senegalese international has established his credentials as one of the best central defenders across Europe with his displays for the Serie A outfit over the past few seasons.
With Manchester City being considered the frontrunner in the race to sign the 29-year old, Chelsea FC would have to hijack a potential £72m deal over their Premier League rivals to secure Koulibaly’s signing this summer.
