Frank Lampard had already signed two huge players before the FA Cup loss.
But neither Timo Werner, nor Hakim Ziyech were playing yet, simply training and getting used to London. In the time since the loss to Arsenal, rumors and signings have abounded for Chelsea, relatively speaking of course.
The Telegraph suggests Ben Chillwell to be on his way from Leicester City to Chelsea; the signing of Free agent Malang Sarr formerly of OG Nice is near completion as well. PSG’s wily veteran Thiago Silva is rumored to be joining too, and this is not to mention the Kai Havertz deal, of which is reported near completion.
Even without yet addressing Kepa, the elephant in the goalkeeper room, the summer transfers window will have yielded remarkable bounties and opportunities for Chelsea not only this season, but moving forward.
Innovations at nearly every level for Frank Lampard
For Frank Lampard, the embarrassment of riches at his disposal is truly both a blessing and curse. While he will have an incredibly young, versatile and talented roster to work with, the expectations at Chelsea can hardly be any greater going into the new Premier League campaign.
Chelsea’s mercurial owner Roman Abramovich has shown more willingness for patience with Frank Lampard than the many others during his reign. However, with this great investment, it seems difficult to imagine much patience outside of contention for both English and European titles.
But with talent up and down the pitch as Chelsea will have, it is small wonder; if Frank Lampard can continue to grow as a manager and tactician, he will be in great position to find these desired results as well. Moving Kepa Arrizabalaga will be an eventual and necessary transfer, with a bevy of options considered to replace him with; who else will leave Stamford Bridge in order to fit all of the great youth into a squad this season?
Kepa isn’t the only one still waiting to go; how does Chelsea lineup?
While Kepa must go, he is not alone; Jorginho has been a goner since the day Maurizio Sarri was replaced by Frank Lampard. But with Sarri out of a job currently, one cannot be sure who will chooses the patient midfielder. It seems unlikely they will get a proper return on their investment but they need both pace and capital moving forward.
Pedro and Willian have already gone, could Ruben Loftus-Cheek follow them out of the door? Emerson and Kurt Zouma are not out of the question either. For Chelsea were not a defensively adequate team last term and will have to do better in order to make progress against the likes of Bayern Munich or PSG.
A front three of Christian Pulisic, Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech would be intimidating for any club to face inside or outside the English borders. Kai Havertz in the middle of the pitch feels right but he can play on the wings as well; Ziyech and Mason Mount can both spell Havertz as a ten should the need ever arise.
This doesn’t speak of the great depth of both midfield and forward players; the Ross Barkleys, Tammy Abrahams and Hudson Callum Odoi’s will be in rotation and will likely make massive impact when given their minutes on the pitch. But few make as much an impact as N’Golo Kante.
One can also imagine, should Chelsea retain him, that N’Golo Kante can play slightly behind Havertz and Mount in the middle of the pitch. While this would take the traditional number ten role out of the shape, it would allow for Kante to protect the backline while building a creative offensive partnership in the middle that might grow for a decade or more.
Behind this however, things become both complicating and interesting; Thiago Silva and Malang Saar will fit into some rotation along with Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger and Reece James. Finding the proper balance of these players will be important but the veteran leadership will likely be key to the fluidity of the transition. Ultimately, it will be the defense that decides how far Chelsea can go with all of these new offensive weapons, not necessarily or entirely the weapons themselves.
A Whole New World
With so many new, high quality players, Chelsea will be booming with anticipation this season. While it is fair to have a high bar for such a club, patience will ultimately be most necessary and hardest to find around Stamford Bridge.
For all of these players need time to grow and fit into the club in the right way; nothing positive will come from pushing Frank Lampard out of the door simply because his players were not yet comfortable in their new environment. Now, should the progression stall, that is one thing, but Lampard needs serious time with these players; if the entire team, players and coaches, can grow together with enough time, they will be a very difficult club to stop for anyone, anywhere.