Liverpool are deserved Premier League champions this season.

Yet it was Chelsea that helped The Reds secure their first top flight title in thirty years, when they defeated last season’s champions Manchester City during the week (BBC Match Report).

As well as securing Liverpool’s title triumph, that result also showed us that Chelsea’s potential under current coach Frank Lampard is very real!

Many sides would suffer if given a years transfer ban, yet The Blues have actually thrived during those difficult circumstances.

The club’s hierarchy sought out Chelsea legend Frank Lampard, who had just experienced his first year as a football manager at Derby County. The rookie boss showed that he had the skill-set to work well with a club’s youth set-up and that excited The Blues support. It also helped that he brought with him fellow former Chelsea man Jody Morris, who had successfully worked with The Blues academy in the past.

So with the management team believing in playing bright youngsters, Morris knowing the talent that Chelsea had in their academy and with a transfer ban hanging over the club it has actually meant that Chelsea have evolved as a football club.

Youngsters like Recce James, Mason Mount, Billy Gilmour and Fikayo Tomori have all been given more minutes on the pitch and they’ve impressed.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Callum Hudson-Odoi have battled back from injury and straight into the first team picture again.

New signings (done before the transfer ban) Mateo Kovacic and Christian Pulisic have added something different to the first team ranks too.

Older players like Olivier Giroud, N’Golo Kante and Cesar Azpilicueta have helped bring the best out of the youngsters.

They’ve performed really well this term, currently sitting in the Premier League’s top four. They’re also still in the FA Cup.

One thing they probably need is a bit more star power and strength in depth in certain areas.

Yet Chelsea and Lampard seem to be acting quickly in bringing in top quality new recruits.

Hakim Ziyech is an extremely talented right sided attacker. In twenty-seven Eredivisie and Champions League appearances, Hakim has managed to score eight goals and create sixteen assists for Ajax in the 2019-20 campaign.

The Moroccan will join the Stamford Bridge team in a £37m deal on July the first (Source Talksport).

Next season Ziyech will be joined at Chelsea by Timo Werner. The German international was highly sought after but The Blues blew any other potential suitor out of the water with an eye watering bid.

Werner has been a prolific goalscorer for Bundesliga side RB Leipzig. His goals will be most welcome at Stamford Bridge. The player himself is happy to be heading to London and believes the future looks bright for both himself and his new employers:

‘I am delighted to be signing for Chelsea, it is a very proud moment for me to be joining this great club. I of course want to thank RB Leipzig, the club and the fans, for four fantastic years. You will forever be in my heart. I look forward to next season with my new team-mates, my new manager and of course the Chelsea fans. Together we have a very successful future ahead of us.’

Werner via Chelseafc.com

Both of these new recruits will boost the Chelsea ranks with more goals and assists.

The Blues have also been heavily linked with Kai Havertz and Ben Chilwell.

Frank Lampard is known to be a fan of Havertz (From Evening Standard) and the young German midfielder does look like a top notch player. The Bayer Leverkusen star makes perfectly timed runs into the box and finishes his chances with aplomb. He shares plenty of traits with Lampard the player!

The Chelsea boss doesn’t seem to be overly convinced be either Marcos Alonso or Emerson Palmieri. Chilwell has impressed at Leicester City, helping them gain a place in the top four. His performances have seen him rewarded by winning a call-up for the England national team. It will be interesting to see how much The Foxes want for the left back, reports suggest it could be as high as £75m (Source – The Metro)

If Chelsea could add those two players to those two that they’ve already signed plus then maybe another goalkeeper and a top class centre-half then Chelsea could be ready to join Liverpool and Man City in next season’s Premier League title race.

Frank Lampard really seems to be building a dynasty at Stamford Bridge. If they can win the FA Cup this term and bring in a few more world class performers, then that could be the foundations to something really special.

Posted on June 27th, 2020 by scott
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