Analysis: Where will Fofana play for Chelsea?

Todd Boehly’s statement signing might change how Tuchel shapes his new defensive line at Chelsea.

Chelsea completed a record-breaking £75m move for Wesley Fofana on Wednesday.

The move comes after Chelsea’s underwhelming start to the new season.

The Blues have won two of their five Premier League games so far, conceding eight goals in the process.

The likes of Marc Cucurella and Kalidou Koulibaly have joined Chelsea’s backline this season. However, it seems Tuchel was waiting for the new signing to complete his defensive setup for the new season.

The obvious choice

Tuchel has seemingly signed Fofana to complete his three-man defensive line at Chelsea.

The club targeted a host of defenders this summer. The likes of Matthijs de Ligt and Jules Kounde ended up joining other clubs.

But, that didn’t stop Tuchel from searching for players based on their ability to play in a three-man backline.

The trio of Koulibaly, Silva, and Fofana will most likely become Tuchel’s go-to option for Chelsea’s defence this season.

However, the new signing might tempt Tuchel to experiment further with his squad formation.

Silva on the bench?

Silva has shown no signs of slowing down at the early stages of the new season.

At 37 years old, the Brazilian star has continued his key role at the heart of Chelsea’s backline, starting all of Chelsea’s matches so far.

However, the arrival of Fofana will increase the pressure on Silva if Tuchel decides to use a four-man backline.

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Following his wonderful 2021-22 campaign, Reece James will most certainly retain his place on the right-hand side of Chelsea’s defence.

On the left, Cucrella will compete against Ben Chilwell for a place in Tuchel’s lineup.

This leaves two spots for Silva, Fofana, Koulibaly and Trevoh Chalobah. Having played in a four-man defence at Leicester, Fofana might convince Tuchel to start him alongside Koulibaly at the centre of Chelsea’s defence.