"Then they can kiss the title goodbye straight away" - Glen Johnson explains why Chelsea could struggle this season 

Former Chelsea full-back Glen Johnson has claimed that the Blues' new-look defense could cost them the Premier League title in the 2022-23 season. According to him, getting players with no prior Premier League experience could potentially lose the Blues “the fight”.

Having lost Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen to Real Madrid and Barcelona, respectively, Chelsea have been scouring the market for their replacements.

Kalidou Koulibaly has already been brought in from Serie A giants Napoli. There have also been talks (as per Fabrizio Romano) of Paris Saint-Germain’s Presnel Kimpembe and Sevilla’s Jules Kounde joining the Stamford Bridge outfit this summer.

Johnson, who played 41 Premier League games for the Blues between 2003 and 2007, isn’t a fan of his old club’s current recruitment policy, claiming that it could hurt them in the title race.

Explaining why the Blues could struggle next season, Johnson told Betting Odds:

“If they’ve almost got a brand new defence then that could hamper them initially. However, if they can get players with Premier League experience, then it might not hinder them as much. If you get a couple of players that don’t know the Premier League and they all can’t gel at once then that may potentially lose them the fight.

“If you sign four players from outside the Premier League for example, then one of them is going to flop. That’s just a fact. You’re not going to get four new defenders that are going to be ten out of ten from the moment they arrive. If they buy a number of defenders without Premier League experience, then they can kiss the title goodbye straight away.”

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Experienced players at Chelsea could help non-Premier League signings at the club

Thiago Silva and N’Golo Kante are two of the most experienced campaigners in Chelsea’s ranks right now. The duo could play a massive role in helping the likes of Kimpembe and Kounde settle in at the club.

Having spent five years together at Paris Saint-Germain, Silva knows Kimpembe well. Under the Brazilian’s wings, the Frenchman could learn the basics of Chelsea’s well-oiled system.

Kante, on the other hand, could reach out to his compatriot Kounde to help him feel at home. Kounde is starting to become a regular in the France national team and could replicate his Sevilla heroics at Stamford bridge with some help.

Koulibaly, meanwhile, already has a massive support system in his Senegalese compatriot Edouard Mendy, who might have already given him a rundown of the club’s operations.

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