Ex-Chelsea defender William Gallas says players will know they will have to battle for their place in the starting lineup this season following the arrival of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

Gallas, whose outspoken comments as a pundit have led to comparisons to Roy Keane, told Gambling Zone that Dewsbury-Hall’s £30m transfer from Enzo Maresca’s old club is similar to when Jose Mourinho brought some of his players from Porto with him in 2004:

“When Chelsea signed Dewsbury-Hall, I said to myself that now the Chelsea players are going to have to fight, which was based on my experience when Mourinho brought his own players with him when he was appointed as the manager.”

“Sometimes you need a player that is prepared to do the dirty work and fight for his team. I think Dewsbury-Hall can be that player for Chelsea and he will have an impact at the club even when he doesn’t play because the other midfielders will have to compete for a place in the team.”

“He will work hard and provide some extra legs and energy to the team. Players like this allow more talented individuals with different qualities the chance to shine.”

What will Dewsbury-Hall add to Chelsea’s midfield?

As Gallas mentions, the 25-year-old has a great attitude and his work rate is outstanding, but he can also contribute a good deal when in possession of the ball.

Dewsbury-Hall was in the top 96 percentile of midfielders for shot-creating actions in the Championship last season, while he was in the top 92 percentile for both progressive passes and progressive carries.

Of course, he won’t get that same level of freedom in the Premier League but it does demonstrate that he can play in more advanced positions if called upon.

Maresca has options in the middle of the park

The competition for places that Gallas talks about is undoubtedly present in terms of the midfield. In addition to Dewsbury-Hall, the manager has the likes of Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Enzo Fernandez, Carney Chukwuemeka, Lesley Ugochukwu and Andrey Santos all competing for two spots.

One or two of these may leave on loan before the transfer window closes but it is still a lot of options to choose from.

Find out who is in Chelsea’s first-team squad for 2024/2025 season here