Graham Potter could alter Chelsea system to unleash dream midfield after a smart summer transfer
The transfer activity of Chelsea over the past two windows has been, to say the least, frenetic.
Since May 2022, when Todd Boehly purchased the club, he has donated approximately £500 million that has been used to bring a number of new players to Stamford Bridge. The Blues signed eight new players in January in an effort to equip Graham Potter with the resources necessary to lead their long-term ambition in west London.
There are now only 93 days until the 2023 summer transfer market starts, and Chelsea’s roster might look rather different. The club will need to sell off a number of players at the conclusion of the season for a variety of reasons.
First and foremost, their contract arrangements. Boehly and the new ownership group are eager to avoid repeating the club’s past mistakes of letting players’ contracts to expire and then selling them for a reduced price or losing them for free.
The second requirement is to balance the books. After spending over a half-billion pounds in the last two transfer windows, Chelsea requires a source of revenue for Financial Fair Play. Thus, we may anticipate several players to leave Stamford Bridge in the summer.
The club shows no indication of slowing down when it comes to acquiring new players. Despite Boehly’s significant spending, the team continues to overhaul their squad, which requires attention during the upcoming summer.
According to football.london’s recent report, Chelsea’s priority in the next transfer window is to bolster their midfield. Enzo Fernandez was signed for £106m in January to improve upon Jorginho, but the team still requires additional midfielders, especially with some players’ futures in doubt at Stamford Bridge.
Alexis Mac Allister, as well as Declan Rice and Edson Alvarez, are intriguing. Romeo Lavia, a midfielder for Southampton, has also captured the attention of the club with his stellar play this season. In the summer of 2022, the Saints acquired the 19-year-old for £10.5 million from Manchester City. Since then, he has displayed his skill on a regular basis.
Regardless matter whether Southampton stays in the Premier League this season or not, retaining Lavia at the club in the summer will be extremely difficult. Chelsea is an avid fan of the teenager midfielder and has conducted thorough scouting research.
He is not the tallest defensive midfielder at 5ft 11in, but he is very physically imposing. Off the ball, he possesses all the qualities necessary for a ball-winning midfielder: he is combative, swift, and presses the ball exceptionally effectively.
That is just one example of Lavia’s bravery this season in attempting to regain possession of the ball for the Saints. Despite the fact that he is effectively the No. 6 whose role is to sit in front of the defence and practically operate as a fifth defender at times, he frequently tries to steal the ball from the other team’s attackers.
His quickness enables him to cover a great deal of ground quickly and virtually catch the opposition off guard. In the Premier League, he is one of the finest at doing this, despite the inherent danger of being out of position if his opponents are aware of his strategy.
Potter places a high emphasis on playing out from the back and having his team control possession all over the pitch. Moises Caicedo, a player who was targeted by Chelsea in January, was a key player for Potter at Brighton and played the role of a “destroyer,” while also being skilled in possession.
It’s possible that the team may shift to a 4-3-3 formation, which was experimented with during the early part of 2023 but didn’t yield positive results. This formation would allow for a dedicated defensive midfielder to sit back and win the ball while the other two midfielders push forward. However, Lavia can also excel in a double pivot, and Chelsea has had recent success with the 3-4-2-1 formation.
The situation with Lavia is worth monitoring closely. Although Southampton is currently firm in their stance to keep Lavia, money can be a persuasive factor.
Graham Potter could alter Chelsea system to unleash dream midfield after a smart summer transfer
