The Situation At Chelsea
It will not be wrong to say that Chelsea, the present Premier League champions, had a failed transfer window in the summer. The players outlined by the manager were never acquired and to add insult to injury, a large chunk of young players from the first team squad left leaving Antonio Conte with a thinly veiled squad. The Italian has spoken about the dissatisfaction of not having enough players to choose from. Of the many positions that need adjustment, the biggest area of concern for Chelsea is the left wing back.
The Players At The Club
Marcos Alonso
The Spaniard was a deadline day transfer for Chelsea last season. After failing to acquire a new left-back throughout the summer in 2016, Chelsea turned their attention to the Spaniard in the eleventh hour of the transfer day.
Marcos Alonso had previously played in the Premier League for Bolton and Sunderland. However, he failed to make a mark on both occasions and Chelsea’s move for the player was considered to be a panic buy.
The 25-year old went on to enjoy a productive season for the Blues and helped them clinch the Premier League title with some excellent performances at the left-wing back position. With Chelsea playing 3-4-3, Alonso was given a license to bombard up and down the left wing without worrying about the defence too much.
He is now the most active and possibly the only player with enough quality to start for the Blues on a regular basis. The negative impact of this move is that Alonso is tiring fast and Chelsea will need replacements for him.
Abdul Baba Rahman
Signed from Augsburg in 2015, Abdul Baba Rahman has had a frustrating time at Chelsea. The Ghanian defender has only made 15 appearances for the club since his hefty €20 million switch from the German side. A series of injuries has left him out of the side and since his return, he has not been able to impress Conte enough to merit a place in the first team squad
What Is The Solution?
In light of the crisis arising at Chelsea, it is being reported that the Blues are interested in snapping up the services of FC Porto left-back Alex Telles. The 24-year-old left back signed for the Portuguese club in 2016 from Galatasaray and has impressed ever since. It is being reported that Telles has a long contract which expires in 2021. However, potential suitors can lure him away for a buyout clause of £35 million, something unlikely to scare off Chelsea.
