Chelsea can seem the soap opera where the characters change but the plots reappear. It is a club where, despite the flow of trophies, success is not always the springboard to further glory.
Now, as the Champions League winners are yet to strengthen, it is tempting to cast thoughts back to their last two Premier League title wins. They proved the prelude to miserable, fractious seasons. In both cases, the root of their troubles could be traced back to the transfer market.
In 2015, Jose Mourinho targeted John Stones and Paul Pogba and got, among others, Papy Djilibodji, Michael Hector and Baba Rahman.
In 2017, Antonio Conte wanted Virgil van Dijk, Alexis Sanchez, Leonardo Bonucci, Alex Sandro and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain while ending up with Tiemoue Bakayoko, Danny Drinkwater and Davide Zappacosta, though Antonio Rudiger proved pivotal in the 2021 revival. In attack, Alvaro Morata arrived four years ago, not Romelu Lukaku.
Now Lukaku has another cameo role in a summer saga. Another striking search is going on. Chelsea's 2020-21 was remarkable. Only Fulham and Wolves had a top scorer with fewer league goals than Chelsea; Jorginho's seven all came from the penalty spot.
Chelsea shared the goals around to such an extent that they conquered Europe. But Thomas Tuchel noted in April: “You just need to read the numbers. Our top scorers have six. This is clearly not enough for the demands Chelsea has.”
There is an obvious remedy. Erling Braut Haaland’s 27 league goals was more than the profligate Timo Werner, the injury-hit Kai Havertz, the unwanted Tammy Abraham, the departed Olivier Giroud and the flair players Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech got between them.
Chelsea are one of the few clubs capable of affording the prolific prodigy. They could outbid everyone else and offer £150 million ($204.5m). Equally, some of their rivals are convinced that Borussia Dortmund are not bluffing when they say the Norwegian will stay for another year.
And Tottenham are unlikely to sell local rivals Harry Kane, even without his seeming preference to move to Manchester City, while Lukaku has pledged to remain at Inter Milan. It could leave Chelsea short of an A-list striker.
Danny Ings may be the best of the B-listers available, a stopgap to buy Chelsea time now Giroud is at AC Milan and with Abraham, who was omitted from the Champions League final squad, clearly not in Tuchel’s plans.
Chelsea’s other business — or, in some cases, lack of it — is revealing. They were interested in Achraf Hakimi: that Inter sold the wing-back to Paris Saint-Germain means they do not need to cash in on Lukaku. But it was an indication Tuchel intends to continue with his 3-4-3 formation; with Cesar Azpilicueta rebranded as more of a centre-back, Chelsea want competition for Reece James.
Loaning Billy Gilmour out to Norwich suggests they require a fourth option for a role in the midfield two; Ross Barkley and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, back from unsatisfactory loans, seem too attack-minded to qualify while West Ham’s Declan Rice may be too expensive to buy.
The sales of the young defenders Fikayo Tomori and Marc Guehi are signs Tuchel saw neither as Chelsea’s future. Yet with Andreas Christensen, Rudiger and the veteran Thiago Silva all out of contract in 2022, they may require a radical overhaul next year.
But this summer’s priority is attack. While Werner and Havertz ought to contribute more and recapture their Bundesliga scoring form and while Chelsea’s history should teach them that a bad buy can be worse than no signings, if a deluxe finisher does not arrive, Tuchel will be charged with conjuring more goals to finish higher. Because Chelsea’s Champions League winners registered their lowest Premier League tally of the 21st century.
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CHELSEA 2020/21 SEASON RATINGS - MANAGERS: Frank Lampard – 6. Started the season encouragingly and led an impressive recruitment drive in the summer, but struggled to find answers to too many problems. There were clear tactical and defensive deficiencies in his teams and he didn't look like he would be able to arrest the slide. His sacking led to uproar but really it looks a blessing in disguise. -
Thomas Tuchel - 9. Brought in mid-season with Chelsea ninth in the Premier League, the German has made a superb impact. He made the Blues a more balanced and cohesive unit and made great use of his full squad during a hectic season. Needs to get his team scoring more goals but fourth in the league and an FA Cup final are impressive returns on the domestic front. Then he went and won the Champions League. Enough said. -
GOALKEEPERS: Edouard Mendy – 8. A fine debut season for the Senegalese stopper who has proved a significant, and far cheaper, upgrade on Kepa Arrizabalaga. Started well with five successive Premier League clean sheets and after a wobble during the final Lampard weeks, bounced back with a string of superb displays under Tuchel. The Blues now have a top-class keeper they can trust. -
Kepa Arrizabalaga – 6. A shaky start saw Chelsea quickly decide to sign Mendy from Rennes, and the Spaniard is now the world’s most expensive understudy. He has performed well in the few appearances he’s been given by Tuchel, but still, hardly what Chelsea had hoped for when paying £71m for his services. -
Willy Caballero – 5. Very much third choice and played just twice, keeping a clean sheet in the League Cup and conceding three goals against West Brom in the Premier League. A decent servant for Chelsea but will surely leave when his contract expires. -
DEFENDERS: Ben Chilwell – 8. Signed at great cost from Leicester City and made an immediate impact by scoring on debut. Became a consistent performer under Lampard even as the wheels started to come off. Rotated more by Tuchel as the German attempted to keep his wing-backs fresh but he is a superior option to Alonso. Immense in Champions League final. -
Reece James – 8.5. Installed as first choice under Lampard but found himself in rotation since Tuchel arrived, James has enjoyed another good season. The right-back provided a dangerous attacking threat with his pace and pinpoint crossing, while his defending ability has continued to improve. A key part of Chelsea’s present and future. Dominated Raheem Sterling in the Champions League final. Getty Images -
Andreas Christensen – 7.5. The opposite situation to Zouma, where the Dane found game time limited under Lampard but became a more important player for Tuchel. Slotted comfortably into a back-three, although his challenge for next season is to become a regular. After his commanding display in Porto, has done his chances no harm. AP Photo -
Kurt Zouma – 7. Similar to James, the Frenchman was first choice for Lampard but found himself down the pecking order under Tuchel. Regardless of his game time, Zouma has been a reliable presence at the heart of the Chelsea defence and has chipped in with a handful of goals, and of course, a few eye-catching last-ditch tackles. -
Antonio Rudiger – 8.5. One of the great success stories of Tuchel’s reign so far. Rudiger has always been a talented defender, although he was prone to too many errors. Since Tuchel’s arrival, though, the German has been rock solid and struck a superb partnership with Silva. His fine form makes his exclusion by Lampard look increasingly strange. -
Cesar Azpilicueta – 8.5. Frozen out by Lampard but reinstated as a key player by Tuchel, the Chelsea captain was central to the club’s revival. Playing on the right side of a three-man defence or at wing-back, Azpilicueta’s versatility and reliability have been valuable to turning the club’s season around. Superb in Porto. -
Emerson – 5. Now third choice left-back, surely the Italian’s time at the club is set to come to an end. Scored an important goal against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last 16 but it’s been a wasted season in which Emerson made just two Premier League appearances. -
Marcos Alonso – 6.5. Benefitted by Tuchel’s decision to employ wing-backs, Alonso was brought back into the fold. The Spaniard remains a defensive liability but his ability going forward ensured he contributed with some vital goals, none more so than his injury-time winner against Manchester City. Interesting to see if he is still at the club come next season. -
Thiago Silva – 8.5. The Brazilian’s debut couldn’t have gone much worse after his careless mistake against West Brom contributed to a 3-3 draw. Since then, though, Silva has been immense for the Blues. His composure, positioning, leadership, and experience have brought huge improvements to the defence. Surely a contract extension is on the way. -
MIDFIELDERS: Kai Havertz – 7. Struggled to find a consistent place or position in Lampard’s team before Covid-19 caused a major fitness setback. Under Tuchel, Havertz produced a few more impressive performances, including superb displays against Crystal Palace and Real Madrid. None of it really matters, though, after being the matchwinner in Porto. -
Mason Mount – 9. Chelsea’s player of the season won the vote by a majority, which was no surprise. Mount was very good in his first season and the midfielder has elevated his game to another level this campaign. Whether in midfield, as a No 10 or part of an attacking front three, Mount was often the best player on the pitch under both managers. -
N’Golo Kante – 9. Tuchel’s love for Kante is apparent and it’s clear to see why. the French midfielder has been exceptional in what the German calls the ‘double six’ role, playing a pivotal role in Chelsea’s successful Champions League campaign and climb up the Premier League table. A formidable presence in midfield, Kante remains central to Chelsea’s plans. -
Jorginho – 7. Another steady season for the Italian midfielder whose passing range and positional awareness allowed Chelsea to control possession in most games. Yet, in matches when the Blues cede more of the ball, Jorginho was less influential. His penalty-taking prowess started to wane, too, as keepers started to read his hop-skip-jump technique. Did score a vital one against Leicester City, though. -
Mateo Kovacic – 8. The Croatian was the driving force in the Chelsea midfield, particularly under Lampard, and he maintained his high level throughout much of the season. Provides more energy than Jorginho and rarely got outplayed in the middle of the park. Could add more goals to his game. -
Billy Gilmour – 6. Limited game time for the talented Scot, due to a combination of injury and midfield competition. Managed to get some minutes towards the end of the season but looked off the pace. He has a big future but a loan spell next season could be the most beneficial option. -
FORWARDS: Timo Werner – 7. Much has been made of his profligacy but 12 goals and 10 assists in all competitions is a decent return for a debut season. Of course, the German forward’s contributions have fallen short of expectations and he has indeed been wasteful, but Chelsea were a more dangerous side with him on the pitch. His future role – as a striker or as a wide man – will likely depend on whether Chelsea sign a striker. -
Christian Pulisic – 6. Unplayable against Real Madrid in both legs but those were rare moments in a season that never really got off the ground. Injuries played their part once again and was subject to rotation. The American obviously has bags of talent, so will hope to reset next season. -
Tammy Abraham – 7. Chelsea’s top scorer in all competitions with 12 but barely featured under Tuchel. The German clearly doesn’t rate Abraham and it’s clear the England international is not an elite-level striker. Curious to see if his future lies away from Chelsea. -
Hakim Ziyech – 6.5. Looked dynamite after making his long-awaited debut having missed the start of the season with injury, and showed his class at moments throughout the campaign, but too many ineffective games for a player of his undoubted class. Chelsea fans will hope for big improvements next season. -
Callum Hudson-Odoi – 6.5. At times unplayable, at others anonymous, Hudson-Odoi is still bursting with potential but it needs to start getting channelled soon. Will want to be pressing for a more important role next season. -
Olivier Giroud – 7. The Frenchman’s four-goal heroics against Sevilla was the best individual performance of the season but his role and impact has diminished. There was talk of a new contract but Giroud now looks set for the exit. He has been a great servant to Chelsea.
