When Frank Lampard took over the reins from Maurizio Sarri at Stamford Bridge in the summer, there was talk of a ‘free-hit’ season – given the transfer ban they had to deal with as well. At the time, even a top-half finish would’ve been acceptable for Chelsea fans. Although things have planned out differently for them, their first game of the league season did make the Blues look like a mid-table club, and it massively undermined Lampard’s managerial prowess as well.
It’s safe to say that the London club have thrown light on the situation since that defeat though, as they currently find themselves in fourth place on the table, and in line to get Champions League football next season, irrespective of how the European footballing scenario pans out amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chelsea have used a variety of youngsters in various positions all through the campaign, and Lampard’s dynamic approach towards squad selection as well as management seems to have gone down well with the Blues’ faithful.
Although players like Christian Pulisic and Callum Hudson-Odoi had excellent impacts in the early parts of the season, injuries have curtailed their progress heavily. Even in other areas of the pitch, stars like Tammy Abraham and N’Golo Kante have struggled to maintain any type of consistency in the second part of the season, and this has undoubtedly cost the Blues quite a few points along the way. Even with all this, there are some players at Chelsea who just need to be offloaded for the club to actually progress.
Here Are Three Players That Chelsea Must Offload In The Summer
Emerson Palmieri
The Italian international full-back arrived from the Serie A with a reputation for being an extremely well-balanced defender, who can get forward just as well as he can trackback. Instead, the former Santos academy graduate has turned out to be a bit of a dud at Stamford Bridge. Despite being a decent defender, the 25-year-old fails to offer any sort of conviction while in the opposition final third. The Blues’ need for a new left-back has been no secret, and offloading Emerson to fund that move should surely be in Frank Lampard’s summer agenda.
Danny Drinkwater
The Englishman was a Premier League winner alongside N’Golo Kante at Leicester City, but never really achieved the same heights again in his career. Having arrived at Chelsea for a fairly hefty fee, the experienced midfielder struggled to break into the first team and has only featured a total of 23 times for the London club.
Moreover, the former Manchester United man’s career has been filled with off-field issues, including the latest bust-up he had with teammate Jota while on loan at Aston Villa, as has been reported by the Guardian. Upon his return to West London at the end of the season, Lampard will do well to get the midfielder as far away from Stamford Bridge as possible.
Michy Batshuayi
Although there were major calls for World Cup winning striker Olivier Giroud to be sold all through the January transfer window, the Frenchman has turned out to be the Blues’ saviour in recent weeks. His hold-up play has helped amplify the impact of some of the midfield players. Meanwhile, Michy Batshuayi continues to cut a frustrating figure whenever the opportunities are given to him. Short on confidence and not getting any younger, it will be in the club’s best interest to cash in on the Belgian international in the summer.
