Former Chelsea defender William Gallas believes the Blues need two “world-class” players to start challenging for major honours.

Speaking in an exclusive with Chelsea News (courtesy of Prime Casino), Gallas said that head coach Enzo Maresca could still be a success at the club if a new centre-back and No.9 are brought in:

“Some of the other players have been sleeping on the job, and for Maresca, he knows what and who he needs to change for next year.”

“If he can go out and sign one world-class striker and one world-class central defender, then I expect Chelsea to be challenging next season.”

“I’m confident that Maresca is the right man for the job and I hope he continues next season.”

Who could Chelsea sign to strengthen the centre of defence?

The two main centre-back targets are believed to be Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen and Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi.

Both players are expected to move clubs this summer. Huijsen has a £50m release clause in his contract and he is also attracting interest from the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal.

Guehi, meanwhile, is a former Chelsea player. He has just a year left on his current deal with Crystal Palace and he is set to leave Selhurst Park over the coming months. Newcastle and Tottenham are thought to be the main rivals for his signature.

Which striker could be brought in?

While there has been a lot of talk about Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres, the club are said to be more likely to trigger Liam Delap’s £30m release clause.

There are alternative targets, such as RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Lille’s Jonathan David, but Delap appears to be the top option for the Blues at the moment.

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