Chelsea will require defensive and attacking reinforcement this summer following the departures of trio Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger and Romelu Lukaku, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Defensive duo Christensen and Rudiger left Stamford Bridge on free transfers, while Lukaku rejoined Inter Milan on a loan deal one year after he completed a record £97.5m to Chelsea in a move that eclipsed the Blues’ previous record purchase of Kai Havertz.
And there are reports that Spanish duo Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso may also leave the club this summer, just as Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner are rumoured to be on their way out, which could leave Thomas Tuchel out of quality options in attack as well.
Christensen and Rudiger’s departures could take years to mend the damage their absence will cause the Blues backline. As much as the club fans would have liked for Rudiger to stay, they have to face reality that the German is now a Real Madrid player.
Since the summer transfer window reopened on July 1, the Blues have a number of centre-backs in their sights, including Juventus’ Matthijs de Ligt, Sevilla’s Jules Kounde, PSG’s Presnel Kimpembe and Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly.
Some could likely head to Stamford Bridge before the transfer window closes, while Tuchel may even need to add more than one to his ranks – but can Tuchel’s side cope without the defensive duo?
Speaking with PUNCH Sports Extra, ace sports broadcaster, Bimbo Adeola, an ardent fan of Chelsea, believes that only Rudiger will be sorely missed and not Christensen and Lukaku.
The only player Chelsea will be missing is Antonio,” Adeola told PUNCH Sports Extra.
Rudiger was a colossal presence at the back over the past couple of seasons for Chelsea, his departure will probably be the most painful. Written off by Frank Lampard, but like a trojan he bounced back under Tuchel. He was resilient and ever-present at the back. He will be sorely missed.
I doubt if Christensen and Lukaku will be missed. The Dane (Christensen) lost grip on the fans when he asked to be excused from the FA Cup final against Liverpool, despite not being injured. That’s disloyalty and he made too many mistakes in his last games for the fans to miss him.
Lukaku on his part, had a horrible season with the Blues and his outbursts were very unprofessional. Eight Premier League goals all season was very poor after a promising start.
Former Chairman, Edo State Sports Commission, Godwin Dudu-Orumen, anothwr fans of the Blues, added that only quality signings will put the Blues on a good path of rebuilding.
He said, “The sane answer to this question is if Chelsea are going to spend big this season to replace these players, and if the coach will be allowed to make the right decisions on choices he wants.
“Rudiger will be missed, no doubt. The man who is in charge of the tactics, match-day preparations and all should be the one signing players, not like in Roman Abramovich’s era where he signs players he likes.
“The new owner is a businessman and he has sat down with the coach to know which players can make the team win and those who also have commercial value.
“Why is a player like Neymar being considered? I don’t think Chelsea need a player like him because of his disruptive character.
“I expect Chelsea to sign a couple of defenders this summer. They are in talks with De Ligt and Kounde and I feel Chelsea need these two. The team still has Trevor Chalobah, a good back up, and I also feel Levi Colwill is a good addition to the squad. He is only 19, I expect him to break into the first team.”
Dudu-Orumen also believes the Blues rebuilding process will not see them contend for the Premier League title in the next two to three years.
“I think the team needs two good central midfield players because N’Golo Kante is now prone to injuries. One of the major reasons Chelsea lost sight of the title was that both Kante and Mateo Kovacic got injured at the same time for long periods.
“I love the prospect of Raheem Sterling joining Chelsea, Sterling is a scoring winger, he is better than any of the wingers the team has at the moment. Christian Pulisic has failed, while Callum Hudson-Odoi has not developed well enough, he is all about showboating.
“Without Lukaku, Chelsea played well with a false-nine, they need a striker to compete this season, but not Lukaku’s type of player, whose first touch is always so heavy. It will take Chelsea like two to three years to compete for the title again.”
Ace broadcast journalist, Charles Anazodo another Chelsea supporter, however, opined that the Blues would cope, regardless of who they sign.
“Obviously, the replacements will come through and I don’t think that the trio will be missed that much.”
Former Nigeria international, Dosu Joseph, admitted that it won’t be difficult for the departed players to be replaced if suitable options arrive.
“No player is indispensable in a team, they can be all replaced but will the new players adapt to the EPL just like others have?
“I believe it’s a new dawn for Chelsea and they will be back again. The likes of Frank Lampard, John Terry, Didier Drogba left and the club has managed to fill those void with some quality players as well so this season won’t be different if they spend well.”
