Following a promising start to the campaign, Chelsea’s form under Maurizio Sarri has gradually deteriorated, especially in the past few weeks, which has attracted a host of criticism from fans and experts alike.
And with the club being hit with a transfer ban for the next two windows, Sarri could be in for a tough time next season.
In this article, we will discuss three things Chelsea should do in the meanwhile to deal with a couple of issues they have, ahead of the start of next season.
Appeal to FIFA to delay the transfer ban
According to Guardian, Chelsea do have the right to appeal to the court of arbitration for sport, which could potentially delay the punishment until after the end of the summer transfer window.
Meaning, the Blues will be able to make signings during the summer, which could be a huge boon for a club, who look destined to undergo a major squad overhaul in the next transfer window.
Chelsea have already confirmed that the club has refuted FIFA’s findings and instead, they have complied with FIFA’s rules, during their statement earlier this month. And it will be interesting to see what transpires in the upcoming weeks as the Blues hope to delay the sanctions.
Assign Kante a more defensive role in midfield
Many fans and experts believe that Sarri has failed to make full use of N’Golo Kante’s abilities in midfield even though the Frenchman has been quite consistent in terms of his performances this season.
The former Leicester City star has been utilized as the right midfielder in Chelsea’s 4-3-3 with Jorginho being mostly deployed as the main holding midfielder.
As a result, Kante, who has operated in a slightly advanced role. has been entrusted with the responsibility of not only breaking up play but also providing additional support in attack, which has minimized his defensive role at the club.
Thus, it would perhaps be wiser for Sarri to assign a more defensive role to Kante even though it might tinker with Jorginho’s preferred role as the holding midfielder. The manager can also tweak his tactics in a manner similar to what he did in the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City where Kante was given more of a free role to make an impact.
Alternatively, the 60-year-old could revert to a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-4-2 formation next season, which would see both Kante and Jorginho featuring in the double-pivot.
Keep hold of Callum-Hudson Odoi
Bayern Munich were rebuffed in their attempts to sign Callum-Hudson Odoi earlier this year even though the English whizkid has barely received any regular game-time under Sarri, featuring in only four Premier League games this campaign.
But, the 18-year-old will undoubtedly play a key role next season if we consider the uncertain future of Eden Hazard while both the ageing wingers in Pedro and Willian have failed to provide any bite in the Chelsea attack this season.
Hudson-Odoi, in that regard, could provide Sarri with youthful exuberance as far as his attacking options are concerned. The youngster has already shown immense potential in the youth divisions, and the 18-year-old will surely, inject more pace and directness into the Chelsea attack next season which clearly needs fresher legs.