£35m deal for midfielder could provide the boost Chelsea need

£35m deal for midfielder could provide the boost Chelsea need

Chelsea excelled in the Premier League this season but their form certainly dipped towards the back-end of the campaign, as the Blues opened the door for Tottenham Hotspur to put the pressure on and missed out on a double after losing to Arsenal in the FA Cup final.

Antonio Conte’s side certainly benefitted from a lack of European involvement last season, which didn’t test their limited squad depth, but the scenario is set to be completely different next season and the Italian boss knows there is work to do.

The Blues have already made headlines this week with the news that Diego Costa is not in Conte’s plans for next season, which adds further business to Conte’s to do list, and Chelsea now need to respond with news of an incoming arrival.

Reports from France indicate Chelsea have agreed a £35m fee with Monaco for midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko and the Frenchman looks set to join compatriot N’Golo Kante at Stamford Bridge- creating a solid midfield pairing.

The Blues struggled to find a regular partner for Kante last season and speculation continues to suggest thay both Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic could be on their way out of West London this summer, which increases the need for a new arrival.

Whilst Bakayoko won’t solve all of Chelsea’s problems, the addition to their midfield would certainly be the ideal start to Chelsea’s summer and the Blues could then push on to bolster other areas of their squad- including boosting their options in defence and attack.

A new central defender is reportedly on their short-list, which could allow Cesar Azpilicueta to compete for a wing-back role, whilst a new striker was needed before the Costa news- although they may now need more than one addition, as Michy Batshuayi could also be off.

A partner for Kante was the most crucial piece of business though as it’s an area where Chelsea significantly lack numbers and the Blues would probably be able to get by without a new striker or defender, if they had to.

Of course, that won’t be the scenario for Chelsea and further new faces will be expected to arrive at Stamford Bridge over the next few months- although it remains to be seen whether significant arrivals will be added to the squad before the Blues kick-off their pre-season campaign.

Chelsea currently have three pre-season matches confirmed in their tour of Singapore, which begins on the 22nd July against Arsenal, with further clashes to follow in the Far East against Bayern Munich and Inter Milan.

The new Premier League campaign begins on the weekend of the 12th August, meaning that Chelsea will have a quiet schedule in pre-season compared to their rivals- with Manchester United having a whopping seven pre-season games.