Van Dijk is the leader Chelsea need to replace John Terry

Van Dijk is the leader Chelsea need to replace John Terry

Chelsea’s defensive line may not have included John Terry for the majority of last season’s Premier League winning campaign but the loss of the long-serving captain is sure to be felt behind the scenes in West London.

Terry had been a permanent fixture at Stamford Bridge since the start of the millennia and had been an ever-present fixture during the Blues meteoric rise since the takeover by Roman Abramovich, helping the Blues end their long wait for league success, secure numerous FA Cup victories and become the first London side to lift the Champions League.

His departure follows on from the exit of another Chelsea legend a few years ago, Frank Lampard, and Antonio Conte now has a completely different side at his disposal- with the only two players remaining at Stamford Bridge from the Champions League victory in 2012 being Gary Cahill and David Luiz, the former of which is approaching the end of his career.

Conte made great strides towards rebuilding Chelsea during his first season at the club last year and has secured top-class additions to his squad this summer to continue his journey, securing the additions of Alvaro Morata, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Antonio Rudiger and Willy Caballero.

There’s still work to be done though if the defending champions want to ensure they’re capable of fighting across all fronts next season, particularly upon their return to the Champions League, and the defensive line may need strengthening further.

Chelsea boasted one of the best defences in the Premier League last season but there is room for improvement, particularly with new captain Cahill being 31 and looking to be past his best and Cesar Azpilicueta being used out of position.

Therefore, the Blues’ prime target for the remainder of the transfer window should be Southampton centre-back Virgil Van Dijk- a player who’s made it very clear he wants to leave the Saints after refusing to train or represent the club during pre-season.

Those desperate measures from the 26-year-old show he’s determined to seal a transfer this summer and Chelsea would be the ideal environment for Van Dijk to continue his development, partnering with Rudiger and David Luiz in the heart of defence.

Cesar Azpilicueta could then return to his more familiar position on the flanks of the defence, replacing either Victor Moses or Marcos Alonso as Chelsea see fit, and their three-man back-line would stand as arguably the strongest within English football.