Even the departure of club record signing Romelu Lukaku on loan to former side Inter Milan – a move that served as an acknowledgment by both the striker and Chelsea that the transfer was a failure – couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm.
Allowing Lukaku to return to Italy was a move that made sense and, while the imminent arrival of Raheem Sterling hasn’t been met with universal approval from the fanbase, signing someone of his pedigree from a direct rival is a clear sign of Boehly’s ambition.
The signing of Sterling, as well as the attempted move for Leeds’ Raphinha – who is reportedly now likely to join Barcelona – also serves as a message to Chelsea’s current crop of forwards that their performances to date have not been up to scratch.
Unsurprisingly, a number of them are rumoured to be available to other clubs as part of what promises to be a busy summer in west London. Hakim Ziyech is a target for AC Milan, Timo Werner and Christian Pulisic have been linked with moves away, and Armando Broja – whose status at Chelsea is uncertain after spending last season on loan at Southampton – is of interest to several Premier League sides.
Allowing Lukaku to return to Italy was a move that made sense and, while the imminent arrival of Raheem Sterling hasn’t been met with universal approval from the fanbase, signing someone of his pedigree from a direct rival is a clear sign of Boehly’s ambition.
The signing of Sterling, as well as the attempted move for Leeds’ Raphinha – who is reportedly now likely to join Barcelona – also serves as a message to Chelsea’s current crop of forwards that their performances to date have not been up to scratch.
Unsurprisingly, a number of them are rumoured to be available to other clubs as part of what promises to be a busy summer in west London. Hakim Ziyech is a target for AC Milan, Timo Werner and Christian Pulisic have been linked with moves away, and Armando Broja – whose status at Chelsea is uncertain after spending last season on loan at Southampton – is of interest to several Premier League sides.
Chelsea’s underperforming attack
The fact that allowing Lukaku – a £97.5m signing less than a year ago – to leave was such a simple decision demonstrates how disappointing his second spell with Chelsea proved to be. Not only was his return of 15 goals in 44 games across all competitions underwhelming, but he disrupted the team with his unsanctioned interview with Sky in Italy in December in which he questioned Tuchel’s tactics and talked up a move back to Inter.
Lukaku’s underperformance, as well as his dissatisfaction with Tuchel’s tactics, could well be explained by his lack of compatibility with his head coach’s demands. The German likes his team to press from the front, and Chelsea ranked in the top seven for possession wins in the attacking and middle thirds in the Premier League last season. But Lukaku’s personal statistics show that he was either unwilling or unable to perform to that brief. No forward recorded fewer than his 0.11 tackles per 90 minutes in the top flight last season, while he ranked 80th among 87 forwards for possession wins in the attacking third.
But it wasn’t just Lukaku who failed to meet expectations last season. Pulisic, Werner, Ziyech and Callum Hudson-Odoi scored just 15 Premier League goals between them. Chelsea ranked third among top-flight clubs for chances created last season, but only three sides missed more big chances than the Blues during that time. It’s no surprise that Tuchel appears keen to revamp his strikeforce this summer.
Usually the departure of a club’s main striker would quickly lead to the team looking to secure a direct replacement. But reports of the Blues scouring the market for a new striker have been thin on the ground.
who wants to leave Manchester United – but it’s unclear whether Tuchel wants to pursue moves for either player. In any case, the Blues have preferred to place their focus on recruiting Sterling, all of which means they face the real possibility of entering the season with just Havertz, Werner and Broja – who has just six Premier League goals to his name – as their options at No 9.
Tuchel’s aim this summer looks to have been to use the millions provided by Boehly to improve his team’s output from the areas out wide and behind the main striker. Sterling is set to be the first new signing through the door under Boehly’s ownership and it’s not hard to see why he and Tuchel were so keen to sign the Manchester City and England winger. Picking up a four-time Premier League winner from one of your direct rivals is a no-brainer, while the fee – in the region of £50m due to Sterling having only one year remaining on his City contract – makes the move even more attractive.
Sterling ranks in the top 10 among Premier League forwards for goals, big chances scored, completed take-ons and possession wins in the attacking third across the last two seasons. The 27-year-old also has 23 league goals in the last two campaigns – Mason Mount was the Blues’ best performer in that time with 17.
Sterling’s 44.09 per cent shooting accuracy was also better than any Chelsea forward, as was his total of 19 big chances converted. Sterling is also a good creator, with only Mount bettering his totals for assists, chances created and touches in the Premier League across the last two seasons among Chelsea’s forwards. If Sterling can replicate that form at Stamford Bridge, he should prove to be a valuable addition to the Blues’ attack.
During his solitary campaign back in the Premier League, Lukaku performed worse than Sterling across a variety of key metrics. The Belgian registered fewer goals, assists and shots than Sterling, while he also ranked below him for tackles, interceptions and possession wins. Even if Tuchel doesn’t attempt to bring in a like-for-like replacement for Lukaku, the head coach seems to believe he can improve the output from his attack by upgrading in the wide areas.
How to answer the questions in defence and midfield?
While Chelsea are clearly prioritising strengthening in attack, it’s clear they will need to turn their attention to defence sooner rather than later. Antonio Rudiger – a linchpin at the back since Tuchel’s arrival 18 months ago – and Andreas Christensen have both left the club on free transfers, leaving the 37-year-old Thiago Silva, plus Trevoh Chalobah and Malang Sarr, as the only senior centre-backs at the head coach’s disposal. Club captain Cesar Azpilicueta and fellow Spain international Marcos Alonso are also reported targets for Barcelona, meaning Chelsea are left with questions to ponder in defence.
Unsurprisingly, the Blues have begun to address those issues by moving for Man City’s Nathan Ake, who spent six years at Stamford Bridge earlier in his career. Chelsea were also keen on Juventus’ Matthijs de Ligt, although he is said to favour a move to Bayern Munich.
The west Londoners also have Sevilla’s Jules Kounde – who they nearly signed in January – RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol and Paris Saint-Germain’s Presnel Kimpembe on their shortlist. Alonso could be replaced by Emerson Palmieri, who’s returned to Chelsea after a loan spell at Lyon, but Azpilicueta’s exit would mean Tuchel and Boehly would need to recruit a new right-back.