The Blues are gearing up for a busy summer transfer window after confirming the Ziyech deal. Chelsea’s transfer ban was lifted for the winter window but despite linking with several players, they were unable to sign anyone. Lampard’s Chelsea are favourites for the top-four finish and a place in the Champions League. So, the Blues will try to strengthen themselves in the upcoming transfer window. Here we take a look at five players Chelsea could sign this summer. While some of them will most certainly not happen and are more of a dream move but these players have been linked with the club in the past and can bring quality to the squad.
Check here | How Hakim Ziyech would fit in at Chelsea
1. Moussa Dembele
Position – Striker
Club – Lyon
Chelsea have been in the hunt for a striker since the January transfer window. Chelsea were close to signing Mertens from Napoli but the Italian side didn’t want the striker to leave. Mertens is now set to sign a contract extension with Napoli. Chelsea also closely followed Werner but he prefers a move to Merseyside rather than London. Another striker Chelsea are interested in is Moussa Dembele. The Blues only have Tammy Abraham as their number 9 choice and Giroud hasn’t been a quality backup. Chelsea tried signing the French striker in January but Lyon rejected their bid. According to several reports Lyon are open to selling some of their top talents for good money and Dembele is one among them. If the Blues come up with a good offer, Dembele could be on the move to London.
Here are his stats in Ligue 1 this season so far:
Matches – 27
Goals – 16
Assists – 2
Shots per game – 2.1
2. Philippe Coutinho
Position – Left Winger, Left Midfielder, Attacking Midfielder
Club – Bayern Munich (on loan from FC Barcelona)
The 27-year-old Brazilian’s career has been on a downfall since leaving Liverpool in 2018. After spending 1.5 seasons at Barcelona, he was sent on loan to Bayern Munich. Now it looks like the Bavarians won’t activate his release clause and Coutinho is set to return to Camp Nou after this season. The Catalan giants want to get rid of him and are willing to take a massive loss on him. The Brazilian can play in multiple positions in the midfield and can also play on the left-wing if needed. He can easily fit in behind Tammy and ahead of the pivot. Despite him flopping at Barca, he is a hot prospect and will be a quality addition for the club. He also offers a lot of goals while playing from midfield. Coutinho’s agent has already said that the player will not play for Liverpool’s rival clubs and that’s why London can be a good destination for him.
Here are his stats in Bundesliga this season so far:
Matches – 22
Goals – 8
Assists – 6
Dribbles – 33 (1.5 per game)
Key Passes – 30
Chances created – 36
3. Andre Onana
Position – Goalkeeper
Club – Ajax
Kepa Arrzabalaga has been underwhelming for the Blues so far and has not been able to justify his price tag. He was dropped on the bench for few games by Lampard and Caballero had to start for the Blues. Even if Chelsea want to keep Kepa and Caballero (who has just signed an extension), they will be looking for a top-tier sweeper-keeper who would secure the Blues’ defence for the coming years. Onana fits the bill here and is open to a move to England. He is young and cheap. He also has good passing ability and is brilliant at shot-stopping. The Cameroonian goalkeeper made many heroic saves last season for Ajax and helped them reach the Champions League semis. Ziyech could help the club in bringing Onana to Chelsea next season.
Here are his stats in Eredivisie this season so far:
Matches – 24
Clean sheets – 8
Saves – 51 (2.1)
Passing accuracy – 79%
4. Alex Telles
Position – Left-Back
Club – FC Porto
The Brazilian full-back was linked with a move to Chelsea in 2015 when he used to play in the Turkish League for Galatasaray. However, the deal didn’t happen and he later joined Porto in 2016. Telles has improved drastically at Porto and has now become one of the hot prospects to sign. Chelsea desperately needs to find a solution for their left-back conundrum and Telles could be the one. Telles is a pacy full-back who can supply quality services in the box during the attack. He can play like an overlapping left-back behind Pulisic or Hudson-Odoi.
Here are his stats in the Portuguese Primeira Liga this season so far:
Matches – 23
Goals – 8
Assists – 7
Key passes – 46 (2 per game)
Chances created – 50
Crosses – 53
5. Nathan Ake
Position – Centre-Back
Club – AFC Bournemouth
The Blues have previously been criticized for letting quality players go but they are no strangers in bringing back former players. Nathan Ake has established himself as a consistent defender since leaving Chelsea in 2016. The Dutch defender has been a regular starter for the Cherries and is valued at £40 million. Ake will have no problem in coming back and Chelsea can strengthen their defensive options by signing him this summer.
Here are his stats in the Premier League this season so far:
Matches – 23
Goals – 2
Assists – 1
Tackles - 15
Clearances – 124
Interceptions - 31
