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Arsenal legend Ian Wright reckons Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino needs to sign a goalkeeper and a striker in the summer.
The Blues ended an abysmal 2022-23 campaign in 12th place in the Premier League with their worst-ever points tally (44). They also sacked two permanent managers, Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter, this season. Mauricio Pochettino will take over as the permanent manager, having signed a two-year deal with an option to extend by one year.
Under the new ownership led by Todd Boehly, the West London side spent over £600 million in two transfer windows. Hence, the summer transfer window will be used to trim down a bloated squad.
However, Wright believes Pochettino needs to bring in a goalkeeper and a striker this summer, telling BBC (via Metro):
"I don’t think Pochettino needs to do much this summer because of the calibre of coach he is and how good he is with young players and how he can organise a team. If you look at what Chelsea have got, probably sign a goalkeeper this summer, definitely a number nine – but when you look at what they’ve got in the squad, they’ve got enough pieces."
He added:
"He needs to cut the squad down a bit and bring in some quality. They’ve already got quality but bring in a bit more. Chelsea fans should be excited about Pochettino because he will sort this out."
The Blues ended their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge on Sunday (May 28).
Chelsea need to sign a striker in the summer
The Blues struggled in multiple positions throughout the campaign but one of their major issues was their inability to score goals. They scored 38 goals in as many Premier League games, just two more than Golden Boot winner Erling Haaland of Manchester City.
Chelsea signed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Barcelona last summer, but he could barely make an impact. He featured just 22 times, scoring three goals and providing one assist.
Romelu Lukaku, meanwhile, who's on a season-long loan at Inter Milan, is pushing for a permanent departure from Stamford Bridge, as per Metro. Armando Broja, meanwhile, could make just 18 appearances across competitions this season as he recovers from a cruciate Ligament injury.
Chelsea evidently need to sign a bonafide No. 9 this summer. They have been linked with the likes of Napoli's Victor Osimhen and Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic (via GOAL).
