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Cesar Azpilicueta has been the backbone for Chelsea's right back for years. He is undoubtedly one of the most reliable defenders for the Blues at the moment. However, the Spaniard is not getting any younger.
Maurizio Sarri's attacking football would require a tremendous amount of energy and pace. Hence, the Blues could not be relying solely on the aging star anymore shortly. Many Chelsea faithful also has questioned the Spaniard's captaincy since his lack of actions during Sarri-Kepa misunderstanding.
Davide Zappacosta, who had previously been intended to replace the former Marseille player, also has failed to do his duty so far. Now it is only normal that the English outfit would need a suitable long-term replacement for the 29 years old. Without further ado, let's take a look at the 3 options.
Note: Chelsea might not be able to sign anyone due to the transfer ban but this is just a hypothesis who could eventually replace the Spaniard in the long run.
Elseid Hysaj
It is no secret that Chelsea have a particular fondness to Serie A and, Sarri, Jorginho as well Gonzalo Higuain are just a few examples of that. Now the London-based club might also try again to snatch Napoli defender Elseid Hysaj.
The Albanian right-back had been Napoli's undisputable number one in his position for the past 3 seasons and has attracted Chelsea's interest ever since. This season the Italian club might be willing to cash in on the 25 years old due to Kevin Malcuit's rise. The defender would surely more suitable for Sarri's attacking style of play compared to Azpilicueta.
He is known for his excellent passing accuracy and exceptional level of fitness. He would help Chelsea in implementing Sarriball better and smoothen the Blues's build-up. Hysaj has never recorded any significant injuries in his entire senior career. Hence, he would be an excellent addition to Chelsea roster.
#2 Aaron Wan-Bissaka
The English defender has been one of the best Premier League rising stars this season. He has been an undisputable choice for Roy Hodgson's Crystal Palace at just 21 years of age due to his brilliant and consistent performance.
An impenetrable wall at Palace's right-hand side, Wan-Bissaka has amassed 4 tackles and 2.2 intercepts on average in the Premier League. He would be an instant upgrade for Azpilicueta in defensive aspects as well as adding more energy to the team.
However, he might need to improve his 72.6 percent on average passing accuracy to suit Sarri's attacking style at Chelsea. His attacking contributions is not that bad for a player with just 70 percent accurate deliveries as he has contributed 2 league assists this season.
His prime years are miles ahead of him and there is still a huge room for improvement for the Englishman. Hence, he would be a good signing for Chelsea.
#1 Achraf Hakimi
The Real Madrid loanee has pretty much been a bargain of the season for Dortmund. He has been the vital part of Lucien Favre's highly-entertaining side. At just 20 years old, Hakimi has contributed outstanding 3 goals and 7 assists in all competitions, despite playing as a defender.
A versatile player, the Moroccan has played equally well as a fullback on both sides. He is a heavily attack-minded player and might be Sarri's dream choice to fill the right-back position. He has outstanding dribbling and passing capabilities. Hence, he would suit much better to Chelsea's current system than Azpilicueta.
Real Madrid have bought Alvaro Odriozola for the right-back position to compete with Dani Carvajal while Marcelo is likely to stay at the Los Blancos left-back following Zinedine Zidane's appointment. Hence, Hakimi's homecoming to Bernabeu could be highly unlikely in an ideal world but the powers at the Bernabeu rate him highly.
Still, should Madrid decide to sell, Chelsea would have the upper hand in signing the starlet due to their better financial power compared to Dortmund.
