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Over the last decade,Chelsea has had one of the strongest back four in England as well as Europe. However, since the departure of their longtime captain John Terry, the defensive line has failed to live up to the expectations of their predecessors.
Especially this season when the whole Blues have been below average and lacked consistency, the defense has looked more shambolic than ever.
The club's first choice centre-back David Luiz is way past his prime, and his Chelsea career looked over under Antonio Conte. The arrival of Maurizio Sarri handed him a revival as the new coach trusted him with first-team duties this season.
By putting his faith in Luiz, Sarri has shown little trust in young and promising centre-back Andreas Christensen; who was a revelation under Conte. With the arrival of the Italian, the game time for the Danish international has reduced drastically and he only plays cup competitions and the Europa League.
That leaves Chelsea and Sarri with only one reliable option - Antonio Rudiger, who has grown to be one of the best in the blue shirt.
Taking into account the above facts, there is no doubt Chelsea will browse the transfer market this summer, to find a strong, the young and long term central defensive prospect. Here are our top 4 picks for the same.
#4 Manuel Akanji (Borussia Dortmund)
The 23-year-old Dortmund defender is one of the reasons why the German club has been Bundesliga table toppers for the most part of the season. The Swiss international joined Dortmund from FC Basel in January 2018 for a reported fee of €21.5 million and proved worth every penny that the club has invested.
Akanji has played 17 games in the Bundesliga this season, which amounts to around 63% of the total games played by Dortmund and has been like a brick wall in defense. What makes him an ideal option for Chelsea is the fact that he is a ball playing defender, who can send some really good crosses across the pitch for the attackers even from his defensive position. Currently, David Luiz does the same for the team.
A partnership between Rudiger and Akanji, if dealt with patience, can lead to a long term strong defensive pairing. This is exactly what Chelsea need as both the players have good sprinting abilities and are great in one on one situations.
#3 Willy Boly (Wolverhampton)
The Frenchman is the currently part of the Wolverhampton Wanderers squad which has shocked the Premier League this season. An excellent record against the top 6 and destructive performances against the mid-table clubs has proved, that the recently promoted side is here to stay in the Premier League for long.
Willy Bolly might be the first name chosen in the back-line for any game and is an instrumental part of Nuno Espirito's team. The 28-year-old has given strikers like Sergio Aguero, Mohamed Salah and Harry Kane a tough time this season.
Though Chelsea might be looking for a younger option for the center-back role, Bolly has an advantage over the other options in the list as he has proven himself in the Premier League and has good experience of what the league demands.
Even if he is able to play at his prime for the next 5 years, it is a win-win situation for the Blues.
Bolly is also useful during set-pieces, having scored 3 goals for Wolves this season even though he seems reluctant to go forward most of the times during open play.
#3 Raphael Varane (Real Madrid)
There have been rumors that Raphael Varane wants to leave Real Madrid at the end of this season. If that is the case, Chelsea should make the best of this opportunity.
The 25-year-old World Champion is one of the world's best defenders right now and has been incredibly consistent for the past three seasons.
It will be a great signing for the Blues as the French International lacks almost nothing in his style of play. He has great speed, is good in one on one situations, can defend well in aerial situations, and he can score a few goals from set-pieces too.
Also, the Real Madrid player has almost won everything in his career right from the World Cup to the Champions League (4 times), La Liga (2 times), and the Spanish Super Cup (2 times). Varane surely brings a lot of experience and winning mentality with him.
There is no doubt this will be a dream signing for Maurizio Sarri if it happens this summer.
#1 Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli)
The first pick on our list today is a monster created by Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri himself, during his time at Napoli - Kalidou Koulibaly.
The French-born Senegalese International has been linked to every top European club in the last two seasons. However, a reunion with Sarri could be a big factor in luring him to the Premier League.
The 27-year-old has been Serie A's best defender in the past few seasons and has tormented every striker in the Italian league by being a mountain in front of the goal.
If Chelsea are to secure Koulibaly, they can finally have their own reply to Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk and Manchester City's John Stones and Aymeric Laporte.
Koulibaly is definitely the player who can bring back the glory days for the back four of Chelsea. He is someone who can make Chelsea a defensive superpower once more
