After a terrible 2015/16 season, Chelsea were expected to sell some of their discontented superstars and rebuild during the transfer window. However, Antonio Conte decided to retain the core of Chelsea’s squad and compliment them with fresh blood, after extensive deliberation.
The Italian wanted to add five players to rejuvenate his team, however, the inflated transfer market contrived to frustrate him time and again. This meant that he missed out on the majority of his targets and had to settle for alternatives. Despite being quite low on the list of preferences, these newcomers have stepped up and fulfilled their responsibilities for the most part.
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Here is our assessment of Chelsea’s buys this season.
#1 N’Golo Kante – £32 Million
Kante was the only one of Chelsea’s first choice targets that they managed to sign. His performances for Leicester City and France made him one of Europe’s most desireable midfielders, but fortunately for Chelsea, they managed to snag the dynamic Frenchman for £32 Million. This fee can only be described as a bargain in the current market.
Kante has been tremendous for the Blues when he’s been paired with Nemanja Matic. This partnership has acted as a defensive shield and as a trigger for counter attacks, making them the foundation that Chelsea have used to control games.
Standout Performance
Kante’s best performance for Chelsea came in the 4-0 win against Manchester United. The Blues thrashed the Red Devils despite the fact that United dominated possession. This was partly because Kante won back possession at will and set up the runs of Hazard and Pedro throughout the game.
He also put his seal on this victory by scoring with a sublime piece of skill.
Grade: A
#2 David Luiz – £30 Million
Chelsea spent all summer looking for a long-term successor to John Terry, only to be foiled repeatedly. Their first choice target, Antonio Rudiger suffered an ACL injury forcing them to shift their focus elsewhere. The Blues then spent the majority of the summer chasing Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly, but they were unable to persuade the obstinate Aurelio de Laurentiis to sell another key asset.
Chelsea also tried to sign Milan’s starlet Alessio Romagnoli and Lazio’s Dutch international Stefan De Vrij towards the end, but both Italian clubs refused to sell because of a lack of time to find a suitable replacement. The latter would have been the optimal signing for Chelsea because of his experience and success in a back three.
With their other options exhausted, the Blues were forced to bring David Luiz back to Stamford Bridge as a stopgap. However, the Brazilian has slotted into Conte’s system seamlessly and silenced his critics in the club and the media.
His position, in the middle of a back three, has forced him to cover for his teammates and give them confidence and direction. These added duties have turned him into one of the pillars of a defence that has conceded only two goals in its last 9 games.
Despite his success so far, there are sceptics who still believe that he is still an accident waiting to happen.
Standout Performance
His best performance this season was against City at the Etihad. When all of Chelsea’s other defenders were stretched, Luiz stayed calm and kept the ship afloat.
He not only swept up for Cahill and Azpilicueta, but he also stepped out with the ball and started attacks for Chelsea at a time when they could muster precious few. His performance in this game was reminiscent of Bonucci in many ways.
Grade: B+
#3 Marcos Alonso – £23 Million
One of the hindrances to Conte’s implementation of his 3-4-2-1 formation was the lack of someone who could play left wingback. The man Chelsea eventually signed to play this role was Florentina’s Marcos Alonso.
One of the interesting things about this transfer was the shock that many within the club expressed at the £23 million they paid for the Spaniard. They clearly saw this price as being extortionate for him.
However, Alonso has established himself in Chelsea’s first team ever since their change of formation. His overlapping and accurate crossing have given the Blues an added dimension in attack.
However, he hasn’t really impressed defensively, his lack of mobility and positioning has allowed wingers to get past him easily and attack Cahill. It could take several months of drilling to improve his efficiency and discipline.
Standout Performance
Alonso’s best performance this season was in the 5-0 win against Everton, he attacked the Toffee’s right-hand side throughout the game and gave their ageing defence numerous problems. He also scored the second goal of the game after a sharp passage of play.
Grade: B-
#4 Michy Batshuayi – £33 Million
Batshuayi has been the most overlooked one among Chelsea’s new signings because he has been deployed as an impact substitute. However, the youngster has been effective in this role, contributing heavily to late wins against West Ham and Watford at the beginning of the season.
As of late, his minutes have been restricted to cup games and a very minor role in Chelsea’s winning streak. But with the talent that he possesses Batshuayi’s value currently lies in the flexibility and firepower he can provide Conte in tricky games.
Standout Performance
He is yet to have one this season.
Grade: C+
