It could be all change at Chelsea this summer as the Blues are linked with a number of new players and some of their big names are tipped to leave.
The Blues have already replaced their manager after bringing in Maurizio Sarri for Antonio Conte, and he’s brought his first signing of the summer with him as Jorginho follows from Napoli.
That looks like being far from the end of it, however, so here’s our look at how Chelsea’s 2018/19 XI could look by the start of the new season if Sarri lands his targets and some high-profile players make their way out of Stamford Bridge…
GK: Alisson
Thibaut Courtois could be one of a number of high-profile losses for Sarri, with HLN claiming the Belgium international is in advanced talks over joining Real Madrid. CFC fans need not be too worried, however, with Gianluca Di Marzio claiming Sarri wants to sign world class Roma goalkeeper Alisson to replace him.
CB: Cesar Azpilicueta
A reliable performer who probably bleeds Blue, there’s no sign of Cesar Azpilicueta leaving any time soon – and could he even be captain material now as Gary Cahill will surely no longer be a regular starter?
CB: Daniele Rugani
The Guardian list Juventus defender Daniele Rugani as being among Chelsea’s targets under Sarri, and there’s certainly room for one more quality addition at the back, with Cahill and David Luiz not at their best last season while youngster Andreas Christensen is perhaps not ready to be first choice as often as he has been.
CB: Antonio Rudiger
A bit of a wobbly first season, but some promising enough moments that Antonio Rudiger should remain a key player for the club under Sarri.
RWB: Victor Moses
A top performer at wing-back, if Chelsea continue to use such a system one imagines it would be for the best and allow Victor Moses to continue to play a key role for the side.
LWB: Marcos Alonso
And on the other side, Marcos Alonso is another influential Chelsea player who seems ideally suited to Conte’s system, and Sarri would be wise to look to accommodate both these wing-backs into his team.
CM: Jorginho
Newly signed from Napoli, Jorginho was one of the best midfielders in Europe last season and looks ideal to replace N’Golo Kante amid links with the Frenchman with Barcelona, according to Don Balon.
CM: Sergej Milinkovic-Savic
One of the most exciting young players in the world, Lazio starlet Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is a player Sarri will know well from his time in Serie A and he’s now said to be a target for Chelsea, according to Corriere dello Sport, as translated by Calciomercato. It’s also previously been claimed by the Daily Mail that another midfielder on his way out could be Danny Drinkwater, perhaps on loan.
FW: Ousmane Dembele
Don Balon claim Barcelona want Eden Hazard and could offer Ousmane Dembele to Chelsea as part of the deal in what seems ideal for everyone involved.
Hazard has arguably enjoyed his peak years at CFC and selling him now could raise as much as £200million in transfer funds, according to the Times. If not, Don Balon’s proposed swap deal would also be ideal to see the club land an ideal like-for-like replacement, with Dembele a superb young forward who should only improve if given more playing time than he’s had at Barca.
FW: Anthony Martial
With Willian linked with Barcelona by Sky Sports, it’s clear Chelsea could do with another change in attack that could in fact see them field an entirely new front three next season.
The Telegraph also note that Willian has been targeted by Manchester United, and that Chelsea could sanction such a deal if they could land Anthony Martial in return. Either way, he makes sense as a player to go after given his situation at Old Trafford, with limited playing time and a manager seemingly not ideally suited to playing to his strengths.
FW: Gonzalo Higuain
Finally, it’s also claimed by the Daily Mail that there’s a chance of Alvaro Morata leaving Chelsea for Juventus as part of a deal to sign Gonzalo Higuain, which would be a major upgrade in attack after the Spaniard’s slow start to life in London.
Elsewhere up front, the Daily Mirror claim Sarri could be ready to sell Olivier Giroud, and while one imagines he’d want a backup striker behind Higuain, there’s also talk of Michy Batshuayi being a contender for the exit door from the Telegraph.
While it remains to be seen if all these changes will take place, this is an exciting-looking line up from Chelsea that could fire them back into the top four.
Alisson and Higuain are particularly superb potential purchases, while Jorginho and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic look good fits for Sarri’s style of play, even if Kante could be a major loss in the middle of the park.
Overall, this XI looks strong and up there with the best in the league if all the new players can gel.