Chelsea are chasing Champions League qualification, looking to return to the competition after spending the past two seasons away from the top level. However, currently sitting sixth in the Premier League, it looks like the Blues will have to string together some big wins at the back end of the campaign to have any chance of finishing inside the top five.
Enzo Maresca’s side started out as one of the best attacking sides in the league, scoring for fun with big wins such as a 6-2 win against Wolves and a 4-2 win against Brighton.
But it looks like Chelsea may lean on their defensive qualities at the back end of this season, having only conceded three goals in their last five Premier League games, keeping three clean sheets.
The Blues are conceding 10.8 shots per game; only Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal are conceding fewer. That being said, Chelsea have conceded 49.54 xG this campaign, leaving them 12th for this metric, proving there is still plenty of improvement to be made at the defensive end of the pitch.
Chelsea’s readying bid for a new defender
According to reports from Spain, Chelsea have made Barcelona defender, Jules Kounde, a key part of their summer plans to shore up their defensive unit this summer and are willing to break the bank with an €80m (£68m) offer.
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The reports suggest the Blues are keen to add a versatile defender who can play not only as a central defender, but also as a hybrid fullback when needed.
Kounde would also offer much-needed experience to the Chelsea defence, something hugely lacking since Thiago Silva’s departure.
Kounde has made 50 appearances for the Spanish giants already this season, scoring three goals, providing eight assists and totalling 4,171 minutes played, proving to be an essential part of Hansi Flick’s success.
Why Chelsea could be targeting the next Azpilicueta
It could be argued that Kounde has the ability to become Chelsea’s next Cesar Azpilicueta, having played in Spain and having the versatility to play multiple positions in the defensive line.
Azpilicueta – who began his career at Osasuna, before joining Marseille – has gone down as a Chelsea legend, making 508 appearances for the club, scoring 17 goals, providing 51 assists and totalling 42,256 minutes played following his arrival in 2012.
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Jules Koundé vs Cesar Azpilicueta (2021/22) comparison |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stats (per 90 mins) |
Kounde |
Azpilicueta |
|
Goals + Assists |
0.20 |
0.16 |
|
Progressive Carries |
1.53 |
2.03 |
|
Progressive Passes |
5.00 |
5.77 |
|
Pass Completion % |
86.5% |
83.1% |
|
Key Passes |
1.03 |
0.62 |
|
Shot-Creating Actions |
1.81 |
1.93 |
|
Tackles |
1.88 |
2.07 |
|
Blocks |
1.31 |
1.57 |
|
Interceptions |
0.76 |
1.13 |
|
Ball Recoveries |
3.72 |
4.75 |
|
Aerial Duels Won |
1.08 |
1.90 |
|
Stats taken from FBref |
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When comparing the underlying metrics of Kounde and Azpilicueta in the 2021/22 season, you can see how the hybrid fullbacks are similar, both having the ability to play at right-back or as a centre-back, but also ranking closely in many important metrics.
Ex-Barcelona boss, Xavi, labelled Kounde “one of the best defenders in the world” back in 2024, praising his individual quality in the Champions League against PSG to stop Kylian Mbappe. This 1v1 defending, recovery pace and willingness to battle makes the Frenchman an extremely effective wide defender.
Chelsea currently have good options on the right side of their defence, with Reece James, Malo Gusto and Josh Acheampong coming through the ranks.
But with Trevoh Chalobah likely to leave the club in the summer, it wouldn’t hurt the Blues to acquire a player of Kounde’s quality, who can add much-needed experience to the back line going forward under Maresca.
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