Jules Kounde is now at Barcelona. (imago Images)
According to Italian news outlet Calciomercato (h/t ESPN), Chelsea have identified three centre-backs as transfer targets to safeguard against a potential defensive disaster that could occur next summer. The futures of four Blues defenders is up in the air, which creates uncertainty regarding their continuation at the club.
Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Thiago Silva will see their contracts expire at the end of the current season. They could leave as free agents if their deals do not get renewed in the coming months. They could also sign a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs in January if they have decided to leave Stamford Bridge after this campaign.
Jules Kounde of Sevilla, Attila Szalai from Fenerbahce and Wolfsburg’s Maxence Lacroix are being linked with the West London club for a possible move in the future. Thomas Tuchel is looking at replacements if matters become worse, and they could find themselves involved in the transfer market after this term ends.
It is baffling that the board has put us in a precarious stage as four of our key players are going to enter the final six months of their contracts shortly. Sure, a couple of them, like the ageing Silva and Azpilicueta, would anyway need to be replaced in the future regardless of their contract situation- but that should be done in a well-planned manner.
Both of them are performing well and there is no real reason as to why we should majorly restructure the backline when it has given us solidity. Rudiger is a defensive powerhouse, and we should try our best to reach an agreement with him over an extension.
Christensen is equally important as he is the perfect bridge between the veterans and the youngsters in our backline. He is bound to lead us in the future, and we must renew his deal so that he can lead younger defenders like Malang Sarr and Trevoh Chalobah as they continue to mature moving forward.
There is no doubt that the defenders we shortlisted as transfer targets are quality players but signing them does not guarantee instant success. If all four of our defenders leave and we sign these three, things would not be rosy as it takes time to get used to a new environment, tactics, teammates, amongst a host of other things.
While Chelsea are partially at fault for the current situation, it is good that the club is looking at all the possibilities and are trying to protect the squad. The centre-back trio could be great replacements if matters come to worse. Time will tell how it would play out but, we would hope that the Blues quartet would be staying past next summer.
23-year-old Kounde is a solid young defender who has made a big name for himself at Sevilla. Lacroix, the 21-year-old French defender, is also making waves at German club Wolfsburg, while 23-year-old Szalai presents himself as a rather unknown entity considering he is yet to play in a major European league.
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