3 heavily criticised players Chelsea should hold on to next season

Equal parts brilliant and abysmal, there has never been a dull moment with Frank Lampard's Chelsea this season. The Blues have had a wildly inconsistent season up until now with the novice head coach trying his best to ensure European qualification next season. The majority of fans, however, remain behind the club legend understanding the challenges which he had to face in his first season.

Chelsea lost Eden Hazard in the summer to Real Madrid for a club-record fee. However, they were unable to spend it on reinforcements due to a transfer ban issued by FIFA. Injuries, both old and new, further tried to derail the Blues' season, nonetheless, they stand firm in the fourth and final Champions League spot.

Frank Lampard has had to rely upon a certain group of players this season, owing to Chelsea's transfer ban. However, with the ban now lifted, the club is expected to spend heavily in the summer on a rebuild, putting the futures of several underperforming players in doubt.

We take a look at three such heavily criticized players who Chelsea would be better off holding on to for next season.

#3 Ross Barkley

Stamford Bridge erupted with joy when Ross Barkley ran half the pitch to score past Adrian in the Liverpool goal in the FA Cup. The former Evertonian had the skill, the pace, and the finish in him all along, as evident from his days at the Goodinson Park, and yet not many inside Chelsea's home ground expected him to do what he did.

Barkley joined the London side back in the January transfer window of 2018 in a deal worth a reported £15 million. It was a smart move from Chelsea, who had sown the seeds of his capture back in the summer and ended up paying a cut-price figure for the England international. However, the midfielder did not enjoy during his first half-season at Stamford Bridge, with head coach Antonio Conte using him just four times.

Things improved for him under new coach Maurizio Sarri, albeit not for long. Barkley did enjoy spells of good form during the Italian's stint at the club but ended up losing his place to both Mateo Kovacic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek eventually.

The England international has remained inconsistent even under Frank Lampard this season. He showed signs of promise during the club's pre-season but was unable to sustain it as the campaign moved forward. He was eventually restricted to the bench by Lampard from where he has made most of his appearances this season.

As a result, when he ran past several Liverpool players to score the winning goal in Chelsea's recent FA Cup tie, fans were left pleasantly surprised. It was a display of talent which the Englishman has always possessed but which the Blues faithful have only seen in glimpses.

Barkley is yet to show his best to Stamford Bridge but he is a player Chelsea must hold on to next season. His versatility offers Frank Lampard an option in the middle of the park, one which is expected to be very useful in his team's run-in given their injury troubles. Furthermore, he has the ability to change the outcome of matches on his own, something which resulted in the club buying him in the first place.

#2 Marcos Alonso

No Chelsea player has been maligned as heavily as Marcos Alonso in recent years. The Spanish full-back has been constantly criticized by the Blues faithful over his shortcomings in certain departments. Some fans, meanwhile, have even demanded that he be sold to another team.

Alonso joined the London side from Fiorentina in the final hours of the summer transfer window of 2016. The 'panic deal' was completed to appease the then head coach Antonio Conte, who wanted to bring in a wing-back to play his preferred formation. The Spaniard had to wait a while before nailing down his position in the first-team. Once he did, however, he managed to retain it for the rest of the season, helping Chelsea win the Premier League.

While Alonso proved to be a valuable asset for the Blues in his first season at the club, contributing at both ends of the pitch, fans soon started seeing his shortcomings. His positioning high up the pitch to help out in attack usually left spaces in behind for attackers to exploit, while his speed was also seen as a negative. A shift to a back-four under Maurizio Sarri in 2018 saw the Spaniard continue his decline, which eventually resulted in Emerson taking his place.

Despite earning his fair share of criticism, Alonso has proven to be Chelsea's unlikely talisman on several occasions. His powerful left foot has often been the Blues' most potent weapon, whether it is via crosses, shots, or set pieces. Should Frank Lampard decide to keep him, he could prove to be a valuable asset, especially against the sides which sit deep while allowing the opposition to have time on the ball.

#1 Kepa Arrizabalaga

With time running out in the 2018 summer transfer window, Chelsea succumbed to Athletic Bilbao's demands and paid a world-record fee for Kepa Arrizabalaga. The Spaniard became the world's most expensive goalkeeper, breaking the record set by Alisson earlier in the same window.

Arrizabalaga replaced Thibaut Courtois for the London side in goal, as the Belgian shot-stopper completing a move to Real Madrid days before the start of the new season. As a result, the Spaniard was drafted straight into the starting eleven for Chelsea's season opener against Huddersfield, despite playing no part in pre-season training.

To his credit, Arrizabalaga slotted right into the first team, playing as if he had been the Blues' number one for years. A few shaky moments early in the season did not discourage the Spain international, who finished his first campaign for the London side with sixteen clean-sheets in the league.

The 25-year-old, however, has suffered a huge fall from grace this season and is ranked among the worst goalkeepers in Europe's top five leagues. Nevertheless, he is only partly to blame for his dismal displays. A change in coaching staff hasn't helped the Spaniard's form nor has Frank Lampard's constant tinkering with the backline.

Despite the team's poor performance in the defensive department as a whole, Arrizabalaga has taken much of the heat, with several fans and pundits calling for his sack. Chelsea should, nonetheless, keep their faith in the Spanish goalkeeper for the time being as he has shown previously that he has much to offer.

His recent display against Liverpool in the FA Cup proved to be a timely reminder of the same, as he made five good saves while commanding his box superbly.

Edited by A. Ayush Chatterjee