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Sterling, Koulibaly and Kounde in: Chelsea XI to fight Liverpool and Man City for title

talksport.com, 22 July 2022, 14:16
The Todd Boehly era at Chelsea is under way and as a result fans could see a markedly different look for the Blues this season.

Thomas Tuchel's side were hugely restricted in the final months of last term due to the sanctions imposed on previous owner Roman Abramovich.

However with the Russian selling the club to American billionaire Boehly, it means the Chelsea manager has some more money at his disposal in this window.

The west London side secured a third place finish last term, and as well as looking to consolidate that spot, fans will be hoping that they are able to close the gap on Manchester City and Liverpool at the top of the Premier League.

However with significant changes afoot, it means that there are a lot of question marks surrounding the Chelsea team.

They've wrapped up deals for Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly, while Jules Kounde looks set to join them in the coming days.

Between the sticks, Chelsea are blessed with depth with Kepa Arrizabalaga challenging for a spot in goal, however it's set to be Edouard Mendy who retains the gloves ahead of the Premier League's return.

In central defence, Chelsea were dealt a blow by losing Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen at the end of their contracts to Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Speculation also surrounds Cesar Azpilicueta who continues to be linked with a move to Barcelona, meaning that Thiago Silva will likely be leaned upon again this term.

However, the Blues have already landed a high-profile defender in Koulibaly, and Kounde looks set to follow after a £55m deal was struck with Sevilla.

At wing-back, Chelsea have two of the best in the Premier League with Ben Chilwell and Reece James set to retain their spots in the team.

The same can be said in central midfield, with Mateo Kovacic and N'Golo Kante set to form a solid foundation for Tuchel's side once again.

In attack, however, things could look very different.

Speculation surrounding the future of Hakim Ziyech means that Chelsea continue to search for pacy attackers alongside Sterling.

At centre forward, the challenge for Tuchel will be on replacing Romelu Lukaku following his loan move to Inter Milan.

Players continue to be linked, but as it stands it's likely to be Kai Havertz or Timo Werner who are tasked with leading Chelsea's line.

How Chelsea could look this season

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