3 summer signings that could put Chelsea back in contention for the title | Premier League 2019-20

Chelsea ended last decade as arguably the most successful football club in England. They won the Champions League trophy, the Europa League twice, the Premier League three times, and domestic cups on three occasions.

While that would be something to celebrate for a side that have had to deal with a transfer ban, frequent manager changes, the departures of key players, and the presence of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, three years without an EPL title or even putting in a decent challenge for it is atypically long for the west London club.

Frank Lampard’s boys currently sit fourth on the table, an astonishing 34 points behind league leaders Liverpool and only three above fifth-placed Manchester United. In the Champions League, they have to overturn a 3-0 first leg defeat to Bayern Munich to progress to the quarter finals. Their opponents in the FA Cup quarterfinals are third-placed Leicester, and winning the tie may mean booking a clash with Arsenal or one of the two Manchester clubs in the semis.

Safe to say, Chelsea are extremely unlikely to finish the season with a trophy, something the club’s hierarchy and most of the fan base may find explicable. However, next season will bring with it a whole heap of pressure and expectations for Frank Lampard.

Lampard to go on a Spending Spree in the Summer

According to a report in The Telegraph, the former England international was handed a £150 million transfer kitty to spend on new players when the two-season transfer ban on the club was reduced in December. A chunk of that has already gone to the signing of Hakim Ziyech from Eredivisie giants Ajax, but the potential exit of some first team players will likely make up for the difference. Here are three players we think lampard should try and bring to Stamford Bridge to bring the Blues back into title contention.

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#1 Goalkeeper

Kepa Arizzabalaga is likely to leave Chelsea in the summer

Chelsea paid a whopping £72 million to acquire Spanish keeper Kepa Arizzabalaga in the summer of 2018. Unfortunately, the 25-year-old hasn’t done much to live up to that price tag, and Lampard has been rumoured to be on the lookout for a replacement.

Chelsea are reportedly open to a swap deal, with Jan Oblak, Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Andre Onana all being considered likely replacements.

Football transfer rumours: Chelsea to offer Kepa plus £25m for Jan Oblak? https://t.co/TRql7yDC5w

— The Guardian (@guardian) February 26, 2020

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#2 Centre-Back

Kurt Zouma

The quadruple of Andreas Christensen, Kurt Zouma, Antonio Rudiger, and Fikayo Tomori has barely produced a standout performer this season, with Chelsea conceding 39 goals in the Premier League alone so far.

It is highly likely that Lampard will be out for a tested-and-tried defender to partner one between Antonio Rudiger and Christensen next season. Potential options include Bournemouth’s Nathan Ake, who was heavily linked with a move to London before the start of the season, and Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly.

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#3 Left Back

Leicester City's Ben Chilwell could be a potential summer signing for Chelsea

The Blues have been keeping tabs on Leicester’s Ben Chilwell for quite some time now, with both Marcos Alonso and Emerson failing to fit into Lampard’s system on the left back role. The England international may, however, prove too pricey, and Chelsea are believed to have Porto’s Alex Telles on their radar as an alternative.

It is obvious that Chelsea’s struggles this season have been in the goalkeeping and defensive departments. Whether or not there will be exits in the summer, a new world class central defender, a goalkeeper, and a left back will be needed to put Chelsea back in contention for the title next season. Let me know in the comments who you think Lampard should go for.