Chelsea had a strange 2020-21.
Disappointing under Frank Lampard, then dramatically improved under Thomas Tuchel,
they finished the season back inside the Premier League’s top-four and by lifting the European Cup.
By every measure that was a success, but it wasn’t necessarily an indication that
they’re ready to challenge for a league title. To do that, they’ll need another
aggressive summer and to improve in a couple of areas – most notably, at centre-half.
Cesar Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger
started the Champions League final and they seem to be Thomas Tuchel’s first choice trio.
Andreas Christensen is a capable back-up, so is Kurt Zouma, and – if necessary - Reece James
can also be used an exterior centre-half. Fikayo Tomori might now be staking a claim,
but AC Milan have decided to make his loan move permanent, and while Malang Sarr will be returning
from his year in Porto, it’s likely too soon for him to be relied upon in the Premier League.
So, the situation is relatively healthy, but could be more so – and
with Azpilicueta approaching the twilight of his career and Thiago Silva soon to turn 37,
there’s clearly a need to invest an automatic starter for the long term.
And given how important he has become, Silva’s position is probably where the money should be
spent. In the middle of the defence, on a feature defender capable of anchoring a back-three.
And his is a good profile for guidance. At his very best, he was among the most complete
centre-halves in world football – an excellent forward passer across all ranges, a titanic aerial
presence who won everything in both boxes, and a natural leader who captained his club and country.
So, this is hardly an easy task: we’re looking for a commanding presence who
excels physical and technically, and whose abilities are garnished by vital intangibles.
Sevilla’s 22 year-old Jules Kounde is too young to be a leader, his character is still developing,
but he’s a wanted man for good reason. Playing as the right-sided centre back in a four,
he was part of one of the stingiest defences in Spain last season,
as Julen Lopetegui’s side conceded just 33 goals.
Kounde isn’t a perfect match for Silva, but there are similarities.
His distribution isn’t quite the same, but he’s expressive with the ball at his feet and is still
reliable when passing it up the pitch. In fact, if anything he’s a better dribbler and more skilful.
Whether he will ever have the same aerial presence as Thiago Silva is questionable,
but Kounde is an enthusiastic one-on-one tackler who identifies and closes down space extremely
quickly and looks likely to become among the very best defenders of his generation.
And, while not at home in a back-three yet, being surrounded by experienced player would
allow him to evolve into that system over time, perhaps starting in one of the outside roles,
where his carrying would be a useful progressive tool.
His height is a concern – 178cm is short for a Premier League centre-back – but
that too can be compensated for and managed around at the right moments.
If size is a priority, Bayern Munich’s Niklas Sule could be Chelsea’s man.
Sule is a rather deceptive player, in that his body shape – all 93kilos of it – makes him look
less modern than he really is. He’s actually very skilful and can sometimes be quite extravagant.
His feet are excellent and his passing is smart and reliable and, while he’s quite an
odd spectacle to watch and someone capable of making the odd mistake in possession,
Sule’s mobility makes him an effective attacking presence in open play.
He’s comfortable as both a centre-back and a full-back, which makes him perfect for one of
the outside roles rather than Silva’s anchoring position, but that shouldn’t be a deterrent.
His defensive abilities might be, though – or at least Sule might be the kind of
player who has to be complemented by the arrival of another, someone with
a more orthodox set of attributes, and that would have a further spending implication.
He’s interesting though, but probably not a perfect solution.
If Chelsea are fearful of Kounde’s size and suspicious of Sule’s inconsistency,
Dortmund’s Manuel Akanji would be a healthy compromise. A difficult negotiation, perhaps,
because the German club have just received a big fee for Jadon Sancho and might yet
get a bigger one for Erling Haaland, but – as his performances at the European Championship
showed – it’s hard to go wrong with a strong, quick centre-back who is also really skilful.
Akanji stands comparison with Thiago Silva. He ticks many of the same distribution and
carrying boxes, and he would be a very uncontroversial signing, possessing all
the technical abilities necessary to fit in with a group who want the ball on the ground
and the physical tools to survive the Premier League’s toughest examinations.
Akanji wouldn’t be the most exciting arrival, but he would still improve a unit
which has outperformed itself and now stands on the brink of its expiration date. Chelsea
need to make their next defensive signing from a position of strength, not out of desperation.