Chelsea are in desperate need of a seasoned centre-back, not another work in progress.
So much is being made of the reconstruction project at Chelsea. This season has the club begging for a change and they have employed Antonio Conte to lead the charge.
The Italian has his work cut out for him. There will be several adjustments that he needs to make. One of which will need to be figuring out the centre back position.
While many Chelsea fans have pushed for the club to sign John Stones, I believe the likes of Mats Hummels represents a far greater option.
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Depending on which formation he chooses to play, Conte will have to make his personnel decisions accordingly.
While many are calling for a new system, a 3-5-2 with wing backs, I believe the Italian will opt for a back four. Most likely, he’ll have more success against pacy Premier League wingers with that formation.
Chelsea’s defense this season was relatively abysmal. Starting the season with 6 first team defenders didn’t help, as they weren’t prepared for injuries. However, they’ve reacted accordingly, bringing in the likes of Matt Miazga and Baba Rahman.
Moving Azpilicueta to his preferred position of right-back is a good move, as the Spaniard is far better suited on his natural side, both going forward and defensively.
But the centre back position is the real area of weakness for Chelsea. For too long now, Chelsea have been reliant on John Terry. He is their captain, leader, legend. But he’s now 35 and planning for the years beyond Terry has to become more urgent than it’s been in the past few seasons.
While he’s never been known for his blistering pace, his speed is no longer allowing him to keep up with defenders, despite his ability to read the game. That being said, Terry should be kept next season as a leader, regardless of the playing time he’ll receive.
This means Chelsea have to seek a replacement for the Englishman. Many turn to Kurt Zouma as the answer. However, he is still just 21-years-old and is not ready to lead the backline for Chelsea. He can manage as a partner, but he needs a senior leader to be successful.
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Likewise, Gary Cahill is best as a partner as well. He also doesn’t represent a long-term option for Chelsea.
Thus, we have seen Chelsea linked with the likes of Everton’s John Stones, with their pursuit of the English youngster last summer being well-documented.
However, the problem with this move doesn’t lie in the player’s potential. It is likely that Stones will transform from an up and coming defender to a world-class star. But this transfer hasn’t happened yet and Chelsea need a player of world-class ilk, not another potential star.
The Blues already have two potential star defenders in Kurt Zouma and Matt Miazga. This is just in their first team, with the West Londoners boasting several talented youngsters in their loan army and youth ranks as well.
Chelsea need a ready-made replacement for Terry. One that can come in and mirror his quality and couple that with the Englishman’s leadership abilities. This is why Borussia Dortmund’s Mats Hummels represents a far superior option to John Stones.
The German is a world-class centre back.
In fact, Chelsea would probably have trouble luring him to Stamford Bridge, given the lack of Champions League Football next season. Though, he did settle for the Europa League with Dortmund this season and it’s possible that a hefty wage could soften this blow.
Hummels is a strong defender, who’s solid 1-on-1, but also a good leader on defense. His ability in the air is also strong, illustrated during Dortmund’s first leg match against Liverpool in the Europa League.
The German centre back would come into the Chelsea side, start and lead the defense. He can help the likes of Zouma, Cahill and Miazga in the back, marshalling them through the more difficult aspects of the match.
In this way, Chelsea would have a strong, ready-made solution to replace Terry. They can continue their forward progress, while also continuing to blood youth talent like Zouma and Miazga and even academy/loan players.
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Once the youngsters are ready, it’ll be more natural to insert them into the side, long-term. Hummels can be Chelsea’s present, to allow the likes of Zouma/Miazga to be Chelsea’s future.