Three regular starters Chelsea must ship out this summer
It would take a comical collapse for Chelsea to fail to win the Premier League title this season. Seven points clear with no first team injuries and having jumped straight back on the bike after a brief loss of balance against Crystal Palace, Antonio Conte has got his team firing on all cylinders with a couple spare just in case.
Everything is pointing in the right direction and the Blues will no doubt enjoy an open top bus parade through Fulham to celebrate some time in May. That’s all good and well deserved, it’ll be splendid and all, but they must not neglect a squad that is only an injury or two from trouble.
Even without injuries, Chelsea have first team regulars who are not up to standard for a team that will be envisaging a late run into the Champions League next season and defending the top flight title. We all know what happened the last time the Blues failed to be ruthless in the transfer market after lifting the English crown in 2015.
Changes must be made, even if it means replacing Premier League winners…
Victor Moses
Victor Moses’ ascent to key starter has been the romantic angle on Chelsea’s title push. The Nigerian international has followed indifferent loan spells with Stoke, West Ham and Liverpool by becoming Chelsea’s balancer on the right flank. Without his performances, assists and goals this season Chelsea would not be where they are.
More than that, Moses has enabled the immensely successful 3-4-3. However, his weaknesses defensively mean he can undoubtedly be improved upon and the right wing-back berth is definitely a position they should look to upgrade.
Diego Costa
Although it is not so much a case of upgrading, Diego Costa will need to be replaced this summer. After a dazzling first half to the season the Spaniard was linked with a move to China and that transfer may well come to fruition this summer.
His form since that – and the supposed row with Antonio Conte – has been poor for the most part. Moves have too frequently broken up when Costa has miscontrolled or played a poor pass and his final third decision making seems to have gone drastically wrong.
Michy Batshuayi is clearly not a player Conte is keen on, but the Belgian can rightly wonder why he has not been given much of a chance this season.
Nemanja Matic
Cesc Fabregas has often been favoured as N’Golo Kante’s midfield partner in recent months, but Nemanja Matic has still started regularly. The lanky Serbian is a useful asset in the squad and should not be moved on by Chelsea, despite the clear weaknesses in his game.
Defensively he is smart and a master of the tactical foul, which has often aided Chelsea in slowing counters. On the ball, though, Matic is too often clumsy and could be replaced by a player with far greater passing range.
Sometimes important in the build-up, Matic’s performances this season have been a real treat for the Blues after last season’s dismal months, however.