Peter Crouch picked out one transfer Chelsea must make in the summer to challenge Manchester City next season.
A ‘top-class central defender’ is what Chelsea lack to close the gap to Manchester City next season, says Peter Crouch.
It’s been mostly a tale of two halves this season for the Blues. A slump in form mid-season saw Frank Lampard leave with the club down in ninth place in the Premier League before Thomas Tuchel took over. The German’s arrival has since coincided with an improved run of results.
Chelsea have moved up to third in the Premier League and reached both the FA Cup and Champions League finals.
So with Tuchel on board for all of next season, hopes of a first league title since 2017 are high.
Tuchel with another win against Pep. A true genius 🌟 pic.twitter.com/SwrRpDKQcO
— CFC-Blues (@CFCBlues_com) May 8, 2021
But while excited to see what Tuchel has up his sleeve for 2021/22, Crouch thinks the Blues boss needs another quality defender.
“Another transfer window,” wrote Crouch in a Daily Mail Q&A when asked what Chelsea need to catch City.
“If Chelsea can get a top-class central defender, one out of the highest bracket, that would put them in with a huge chance next season. Thomas Tuchel took over a really good squad, but it is still behind City at the minute, for all the progress they have made.”
The former Liverpool and Tottenham striker continued: “I cannot wait to see the next steps Tuchel and Chelsea make because I have been bowled over by the impact he has made.
“I’m so impressed and nobody in Europe would want to play them in their current form.
“They put a marker down for the Champions League final on Saturday. City will not play the line-up they used at the weekend on May 29 but it will be in their minds, the damage Chelsea can do in a one-off match.
“If you were giving me a free bet on that outcome, I would back Chelsea at the respective odds.”
Tuchel, of course, led Chelsea to a second successive win over Manchester City on Saturday by beating Pep Guardiola’s side 2-1 at the Etihad.
The Blues next welcome Arsenal to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday for a Premier League match.
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