A loss against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur was painful enough but the fact that Chelsea are now 8 points adrift of 4th will hurt the fans and the players even more. After a summer that gave the Chelsea fans all the negative vibes, the season has been far from what was expected and the Antonio Conte’s side could miss out on top four, which not many saw coming.
The club signed players like rank amateurs last time out. While selling the likes of Nemanja Matic and Diego Costa – players were the spine of the team – was baffling enough, signing Danny Drinkwater and Ross Barkley made little sense.
Once again, Chelsea took two steps back after winning the league title which will be pretty frustrating for the fans. The upcoming summer will be crucial for the Blues and they’ll have to ensure they bounce back and sign a few proven players.
Recent reports reveal they want to sign Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld. The Belgian has been out of favour after returning from a hamstring injury he suffered last year and has been unsettled because of that.
The ideal player for Conte?
The departure of Matic was a setback for Chelsea last summer. But what the fans have forgotten is John Terry’s absence. The former Chelsea skipper was a stalwart at the back as his reading of the game and last-ditch defending was at another level when compared to the current crop. Alderweireld, however, is a pretty similar player.
At the peak of his prowess, the Belgian has the ability to settle in pretty quickly with Chelsea. He has shown it already with Southampton an Tottenham in the Premier League that he is extremely good to adapting to the new surroundings.
Alongside Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta, Alderweireld could form a three-man defence that could help the Blues get back to the stability they had last season. David Luiz and Tim Cahill simply aren’t the solutions and the two have been inconsistent this season.
Alderweireld is still only 29 and has a few good years left in him. Right now, Spurs seem to be in a better position than Chelsea but the Blues have the ability to attract better players and can pay better wages, so Alderweireld should make the move if the clubs can agree a deal.