Chelsea head into the 2021-22 campaign as the Champions of Europe, a title clinched under Thomas Tuchel who took over at Stamford Bridge from club icon Frank Lampard only in January this year and has brought about a major turnaround for the west Londoners.
The ongoing summer transfer window has commenced but Chelsea are yet to open their account for now despite a host of star names across the continent being linked with a switch to Stamford Bridge.
Also Read- Chelsea’s 5 Potential Summer Transfer Targets in 2021
Borussia Dortmund talisman Erling Haaland continues to dominate the headlines with Chelsea keen to improve their attacking ranks in wake of Timo Werner, last summer’s marquee arrival at the club from Germany, failing to meet the expectations that had surrounded his big-money move to the Premier League.
Pricing concerns are understood to be the major roadblock in Chelsea stepping up the chase for Haaland with Dortmund eager to accept no less than £172 million to part ways with their star striker who scored 27 goals in 28 top-flight outings last season and another 10 in eight Champions League outings.
Meanwhile, Thiago Silva’s advancing age means that the Blues will need to sooner rather than later shore up their defensive options which has already seen a notable departure in Fikayo Tomori who called it quits at the Bridge to seal a permanent move to Serie A giants AC Milan.
The two centre-back names most trusted by Tuchel since his appointment to the Chelsea job have been Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen but the duo are a fair shot away from committing their long-term stay at the club with both players now into their final year of the contract.
Rudiger decided to stall any contract extension talks heading into the UEFA European Championships with the Germany squad and Christensen, one of Denmark’s most influential performers during their journey into the semi-finals of the competition, is bound to attract attention from some of the biggest clubs in world football.
Also Read – Chelsea looking to make breakthrough in contract talks with Andreas Christensen
Kurt Zouma is another defensive player who, owing to his fall down the pecking order on Tuchel’s teamsheet, has been linked with a move away from Chelsea this summer as Tottenham Hotspur could look towards the Frenchman to take up the vacancy left by the imminent exit of Toby Alderweirald.
Many feel Tuchel should prioritise signing a new central defender or even a player of Declan Rice’s talent with the West Ham United man, a long-term target for the Blues both under Lampard and now Tuchel, capable of filling in at centre-back when given the responsibility to do so.
Landing Rice’s signature after West Ham United’s impressive Europa League qualification last season coupled with Manchester United positioning themselves as suitors for the in-form England midfielder is bound to make things difficult for Thomas Tuchel and Chelsea on the transfer front.
Our verdict is that it surely the defensive department which requires reinforcements to come in this summer and bolster a backline which has players whose future lies shrouded in uncertainty when Chelsea commence their 2021-22 campaign.
