Owen Hargreaves claims Chelsea need to reinforce squad in 2 key areas to win PL and UCL; namedrops PSG star as potential option

Former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves believes Chelsea need a new goalkeeper and a new defender in order to win the Premier League and the Champions League. The Blues enjoyed a decent 2024/25 campaign under Enzo Maresca, winning the Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup.

The London giants also finished fourth in the league, 15 points behind champions Liverpool. While Chelsea initially went head-to-head with the Reds in the title race, they failed to hold on to that momentum in the second half of the campaign.

The Blues spent around £300m to reinforce the squad over the summer, but have endured a slow start to the new season. Maresca's team are currently eighth in the league table after six games, with two wins and two defeats, and Hargreaves reckons they still need to reinforce two positions.

Speaking to TNT Sports, as cited by The Metro, Hargreaves also named Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) legend Marquinhos as an option to strengthen the center back position.

"If Chelsea want to go and win the Premier League and the Champions League, they need a world-class keeper and an experienced centre-back. For the centre-back, a player like [PSG and Brazil legend] Marquinhos to help these young players along the way," said Hargreaves.

Marquinhos is under contract with the Parisians until 2028, so prising him away won't be easy.

Are Chelsea eyeing AC Milan's Mike Maignan?

Chelsea are confident of securing the services of Mike Maignan in 2026, according to journalist Ekrem Konur. The Blues were interested in the French custodian over the summer, but a move failed to materialize.

With Robert Sanchez failing to convince once again, the London giants have already sprung into action. Maignan is back on their agenda, especially since his contract with AC Milan expires at the end of this season.

The 30-year-old has consistently been one of the finest in his position in the world, but is now keen for a new adventure. The chance to join Enzo Maresca's team and play in the Premier League is likely to entice Maignan.

Meanwhile, a player of the Frenchman's experience would also be a fine fit in Chelsea's relatively young team. AC Milan, meanwhile, are apparently preparing for life after their prized asset's departure, having failed to convince him to sign a new deal. They have reportedly identified AS Roma's Mile Svilar as Maignan's replacement.

About the author

Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over seven years at Sportskeeda. He has written nearly 10000 articles for the website, and has garnered over 21 million reads.

Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.

Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.

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Edited by Deepungsu Pandit