Opinion: The Best Chelsea XI From Their Current Squad – Do You Agree?

The extravagant spending of Chelsea in the last two transfer windows has left many Chelsea fans and global football fans at large with both their eyebrows raised and their mouths agape.

In total, the Blues have spent over £600 million on players in under a year first while Thomas Tuchel was the manager in last summer’s transfer window but the Chelsea transfer machine really kicked into overdrive this January with new owner Todd Boehly at the helm.

After Boehly hired manager Graham Potter, the former Brighton and Swansea City manager has been tasked with blending the highly priced new additions with the young squad of players as well as some of the older established names.

As such, there is plenty of debate as to what Chelsea’s best starting XI is at this point in time. Here’s what we think – do you agree?

GK: Edouard Mendy

While Kepa Arrizabalaga has looked impressive upon his return to the starting lineup, showing massive improvements over his previous stints between the sticks, Edouard Mendy is one of the best goalkeepers in the world on his day.

Authoritative and capable of pulling off nigh-impossible saves, Mendy is prone to the occasional mistake – but if he manages to iron them out of his game, he’ll be a force to be reckoned with.

Like Kepa, Mendy’s biggest drawback is his inconsistency. He’s currently injured, with no indication as to when he’ll be back.

RB: Reece James

Here’s one member of the XI who didn’t cost Chelsea a thing – Reece James is one of the best academy players the Blues have produced in years.

A well rounded full back who can also play as a wing back or as a right-sided centre back in a back three, the 23-year-old has no outstanding weaknesses.

While currently injured, he is undoubtedly Chelsea’s best choice at right back. While Cesar Azpilicueta was a brilliant defender in his prime, he’s now 33 and could be slowly phased out of the first team as Todd Boehly continues his quest to strengthen Chelsea’ youth ranks.

CB: Benoit Badiashile

Signed from Monaco in January for a reported £32.7 million, Benoit Badiashile is the very definition of a modern centre back. With a towering 6ft 4″ frame and underrated ability on the ball, you can see why Chelsea were happy to pay top dollar for him.

It’s very easy to forget that Badiashile is only 21. He will likely become one of the best centre halves in the world sooner rather than later, given the attributes he already has.

His talents have been recognised by France manager Didier Deschamps, who has already given him two senior caps for Les Bleus.

CB: Thiago Silva

Kalidou Koulibaly is tremendously unlucky to miss out on this XI – even if he hasn’t been at his best this season. No, you simply cannot look past the rock that is Thiago Silva.

Arguably one of the greatest defenders of all time, Thiago Silva has it all. He’s difficult to beat in the air, nearly impossible to get past and he’s also very composed on the ball as he showed in his first season leading the club to their 2nd Champions League win.

One of the most reliable defenders in world football, he’s also 38 – when he leaves Chelsea, he will be very tough to replace.

LB: Ben Chilwell

Ben Chilwell’s Chelsea career so far has been marred by injuries – which is a real shame, because he is a fantastic left back when fully fit.

While not the best defender in the world, Chilwell specialises in getting forward and running down the flanks. In doing this, he can provide support and create space for Chelsea’s abundance of attacking midfielders.

Born in Milton Keynes, he’s also made appearances for England. So far, the 26-year-old has 17 caps for the Three Lions.

CM: Enzo Fernandez

The man who broke the transfer record. Enzo Fernandez is a fantastic player – a positive midfielder who is always looking to orchestrate an attack, he cost Chelsea a staggering £106.8 million.

A complete midfielder, Fernandez’s defensive ability is somewhat underrated. While not a classic defender by any means, he is very good at intercepting passes and turning defence into attack at a moment’s notice.

He was excellent in the 2022 World Cup for Argentina, too. He scored a great goal in a group game against Mexico, as La Albiceleste went on to win the tournament.

CM: Mateo Kovacic

Some may be surprised to see Kovacic in this XI. While it’s true that he hasn’t always been Chelsea’s most inspiring player, he might well be one of the most underrated in the squad.

Possessing a herculean work rate alongside very solid technical skills, Kovacic would likely stand out a lot more if Chelsea’s squad wasn’t so packed with world class players. With good passing, tackling and the ability to score great goals, Kovacic has been a wonderful servant to the Blues over the years.

We went for Kovacic over N’Golo Kante on account of Kante’s absence for most of this year. While the Frenchman is possibly one of the best midfielders in Premier League history, he is beginning to lose the stamina and work rate that made him so good.

RW: Noni Madueke

The third January addition in this team, Noni Madueke is only 20 – but he’s shown plenty of potential so far.While he’s only made one Chelsea appearance so far, he showed plenty of pace and ability on the ball.

He’s represented England at U16, U17, U18 and U21 level, but has yet to receive a senior team cap.

We picked Madueke over Raheem Sterling due to the latter’s decline in form at Chelsea – while he’s clearly the better player at this stage in their respective careers, he needs to get back to his best if he is to compete with Chelsea’ big money signings.

AM: Joao Felix

Despite Joao Felix’s nightmare debut that saw him sent off, the Portuguese flair player showed plenty of promise before his moment of madness.

A wonderful dribbler with excellent skill on the ball to back it up, Joao Felix is the type of player who can unlock a defence at the drop of a hat.

We went for Joao Felix over Mason Mount due to the Portuguese’ superior technical ability, but it wasn’t an easy decision – Mount’s contributions to the team should still be respected.

LW: Mykhailo Mudryk

Chelsea picked up a real gem when they swooped in to sign Mykhailo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk. While he was heavily linked with Arsenal, The Blues acted quicker and got their man.

The Ukrainian international has displayed blistering pace alongside freakish ball control and dribbling ability. If he is allowed to get in behind defences, he can cause havoc.

While he has all the fundamentals of a world class wide man, Mudryk needs to work on his end product – currently, his finishing and crossing aren’t quite up to the standard that they need to be.

ST: Kai Havertz

While Kai Havertz is not a natural striker, he is still Chelsea’s best option in this position. Strong on the ball and with excellent control over it, he can drop deep to receive passes just as well as he can play off the last man.

Currently, he is a better striker than Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who is clearly not a player Graham Potter wants to work with given the total lack of game time given to the former Arsenal man under his tenure at Chelsea so far. Aubameyang is entering the twilight of his career and was recently left out of Chelsea’s Champions League squad. A brilliant centre forward in his day, that day seems to have now long passed.

So far, Havertz has scored five Premier League goals this season, alongside one assist. It’s not the best of returns – perhaps he would be more suited to a false nine role?