Xabi Alonso will know that he needs to improve his Chelsea squad this summer. This is a team that could only finish 10th in the Premier League and failed to win any silverware. And in the last few months of the campaign, the Blues were well and truly in relegation form. Things need to get better and quickly.
The appointment of Alonso has come with a lot of hope and expectations. Now, it is up to the Spaniard to prove that the club made the right choice.
Alonso’s reputation was built at Bayer Leverkusen, where he pulled off a minor miracle, turning a relegation contender into the first-ever Invincible Bundesliga champions within two seasons. The task he faces at Chelsea is not any smaller than that.
So, it will be interesting to see what kind of players Chelsea end up signing this summer. The club have been urged to complete a move for Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid. According to football.london, Glen Johnson said:
“I think Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid would be perfect. He seems like he’s on the move this summer and that’s exactly the type of player Chelsea need to go out and snap up.
“He’s a great player, his work ethic is absolutely through the roof, and he’s a perfectly well-rounded striker. He has proven in the past he can score goals in the Premier League during his time at Man City, and if they could do a sensible deal, offering someone the other way, for example, then that would be a brilliant signing. Chelsea fans would be buzzing with seeing him coming through the door.”
Chelsea need to sign another quality striker
Joao Pedro did a brilliant job last summer. But if you ask me, it would be a mistake to overlook the shortcomings of the Brazilian striker.
The biggest drawback has to be his lack of consistency. He simply does not seem like the kind of player who will perform throughout the campaign. He has his patches when he is absolutely brilliant, and also times when he can’t seem to find the back of the net. We saw both.
Then there is the fact that his record in the big games was nothing to write home about. The biggest goal he scored was in the Club World Cup final and that was pretty much a year ago.
So, it would not be a bad idea for Chelsea to at least provide Pedro with some competition. Will it be someone like Alvarez? Probably not. But never say never in football.
Dusan Vlahovic seems more likely that Julian Alvarez
The one interesting rumour that has cropped up in recent days has linked Chelsea with Dusan Vlahovic. The reports first emerged after he was supposedly spotted in London.
It made sense for the club to try and sign a highly-rated striker who looks set to be available as a free agent this summer. Vlahovic is not expected to extend his contract with Juventus, something that has been backed up by Giorgio Chiellini’s recent comments on the situation.
It feels a lot more likely that Chelsea would make a move for Vlahovic, if they do try to sign a striker at all, then get involved in the Alvarez race.
Also, all of this might depend on the path of the club’s current strikers. Let’s not forget, Chelsea already have Liam Delap, Marc Guiu and Nicolas Jackson, with Emmanuel Emegha arriving soon as well.
