Chelsea Transfer News: Picking a Starting XI to Include Latest Signings

Dan Talintyre@@dantalintyreX.com LogoSenior Analyst IIJuly 12, 2012

Chelsea Transfer News: Picking a Starting XI to Include Latest Signings

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    There has perhaps been no club busier in the summer transfer window than Chelsea.

    With the pulling power that comes with being the Champions League winners, the Blues have picked up several high-profile signings already and are in contention for several more.

    They've nabbed the likes of Eden Hazard, Marko Marin and Oscar, but the big question now is how they will all fit in the Blues lineup next season?

    Read on to see Chelsea's starting side for next season with the inclusion of their big-name summer transfers.

GK: Petr Cech

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    Petr Cech will keep his place in the Chelsea goal as long as he wants it.

    The 30-year-old has already signed a contract extension for the next four years and will no doubt be the starting goalkeeper for the Blues next season.

LB: Ashley Cole

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    Ashley Cole's splendid year was somewhat soured by that missed penalty in the 2012 European Championships, but he will no doubt start at left-back for the Blues next season.

    Cole averaged 2.5 tackles per game last season, but his real strength was in his passing game, which saw him finish second in assists and third in passing accuracy for the season.

LCB: John Terry

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    It will take a brave man to tell John Terry when he is no longer a part of Chelsea.

    Regardless of his post-Champions League celebrations in full kit, and regardless of how his racism allegations transpire, Terry will start at the back next season for the Blues.

    The England international made more passes per game last season than any other Chelsea player and finished with the highest overall passing accuracy.

    Throw in to that his defensive strength—particularly in the air—and he is a must-start next season.

RCB: David Luiz

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    For me, David Luiz had a breakout season in defense for Chelsea in 2011-12. What's more, he seemingly got better as the season progressed.

    He made more interceptions than any other Blues player last year, and if he's good enough to almost be selected for Brazil at the upcoming Olympics, he's good enough to pick up a starting spot for Chelsea next season.

RB: Branislav Ivanovic

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    Rounding out the back four is Branislav Ivanovic, who deserves the starting spot at right-back.

    Ivanovic had an excellent season at Stamford Bridge—averaging two tackles and two interceptions per game—and finished with one of the highest overall match ratings for the club.

    As soon as the summer transfer window opened, Ivanovic attracted interest from both Barcelona and Real Madrid, according to the Daily Mail.

    However, he later ruled out any move from Chelsea.

LCM: Ramires

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    Ramires was another excellent player last season for the Blues, but his position in the starting lineup is up for contention, with Job Obi Mikel challenging him.

    As a typical box-to-box midfielder, Ramires will want to attack with high intensity for Chelsea next season. However, he may have to hold the ball more and play disciplined, possession football given the attacking talent already existing ahead of him.

    Having said that, I've still gone for Ramires here ahead of Mikel. I believe he is the stronger of the two players. 

    Ramires scored five goals last season, led the team in dribbles and tackles per game and finished in the top three in average match rating.

    For me, that's enough for him to keep his starting position.

RCM: Frank Lampard

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    Similar to Ramires, Lampard will want to push forward in attack. However, he is clearly more than capable of playing the holding role required as a deep-lying midfielder.

    Lampard's inclusion in the side is a no-brainer—his name is synonymous with Stamford Bridge and he will go down as one of the club's greatest servants and achievers.

    His most recent season with the Blues saw him lead the club in goals and Man of the Match awards, finish third in assists and second in key passes and average match rating. 

    Need we say more?

LW: Eden Hazard

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    We now start to get to the big signings of Chelsea's summer so far, and there is no greater signing than that of Eden Hazard from Lille.

    Hazard was touted as one of the hottest prospects in the transfer window and agreed on a deal with the Champions League winners ahead of next season in a huge boost for the club.

    The 21-year-old could probably play anywhere in attack for the Blues, but I've gone with him on the left wing, simply because that's where he dominated last season.

    Hazard appeared on the left on 23 occasions for Lille last season—netting nine goals and eight assists—and Chelsea fans will be hoping to see more of that this year.

CAM: Oscar

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    Chelsea's latest signing is that of Brazilian midfielder Oscar, who the club picked up from Internacional in the last few days.

    Make no mistake, this is a massive signing for the club. Oscar will start for the Blues, despite being only 20-years-old.

    Ed Malyon at the Daily Mirror highlights exactly what Blues fans are to expect from the midfield sensation next season.

    That is, something brilliant.

    Oscar might have only netted 10 goals in 23 appearances for Internacional ("only"), but his impact at the club will be in the attacking midfield role.

    He will play a similar role to that of Luka Modric at Tottenham. He is able to explode into attack and destroy his opponents, but also play his teammates in for goal-scoring opportunities.

    Oscar has been compared to world football legend Kaka, and will no doubt be a star of the English Premier League for several years to come.

RW: Juan Mata

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    Juan Mata will no doubt keep his place in the Chelsea starting lineup. The question is simply where he will play, since both Eden Hazard and Oscar will impact his position in the team.

    The simple truth is that all three could interchange positions and no doubt will throughout the season. They are all more than capable of starring right across the pitch.

    Having said that, with this lineup, I've gone with Oscar in the middle as the starting point. Hazard is then probably going to go to the left, which leaves Mata to move out on the right.

    With six Premier League goals, 13 assists and three key passes per game last season, there's no way Mata misses out on a starting job in Chelsea's lineup for next season.

ST: Fernando Torres

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    Fernando Torres will acquire the final position in Chelsea's lineup at striker.

    Blues fans will be desperately hoping that this is the year that El Nino returns to his goal-scoring ways.

    Personally, I think he could shine this year. 

    Didier Drogba is no longer at the club, meaning that Torres will assume the role of the go-to striker. With the inclusion of Hazard and Oscar behind him, the Spanish international will have an incredible amount of attacking assistance and could reap the rewards right across the pitch.

    Torres finished third in goals and fourth in assists last season for Chelsea—imagine what he can do with a deeper squad and more attacking talent.

Conclusion

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    One of the biggest problems with having a strong squad is that there are only 11 positions on a field—meaning that some players do have to miss out, and that's bound to become a talking point.

    Defenders

    Simply put, there is no defender currently on Chelsea's squad list that deserves a place in the starting lineup more than the four men mentioned previously.

    Midfielders

    Marko Marin, for me, is a weird signing for Chelsea. He will no doubt see plenty of minutes off the bench, but with Hazard, Oscar and Mata in midfield, I simply cannot see him getting a starting position.

    I touched on the Mikel-Ramires issue previously, and I can see these two being interchanged frequently. The biggest issue for Mikel is his inability to win the ball, which is a crucial element for a holding midfielder and something that Ramires does far better than him.

    Raul Meireles is another midfielder who will miss out thanks to the new talent brought in by Roman Abramovich. Having said that, I can't see too many Chelsea fans complaining about this. Meireles wasn't great last season, and it might be worth offloading him to Napoli if possible.

    Attackers

    Romelu Lukaku looks set to miss out again this season, but where are you meant to play him? I'm a massive fan of the youngster. He will no doubt get his time at some point at Stamford Bridge, it just won't be this year.

    Daniel Sturridge won't get a chance to start for Chelsea unless Fernando Torres starts to misfire with all the attacking talent around him, but I can't see that happening.

    What do you think of this starting side for Chelsea?

    Comment below or hit me up on Twitter:  

    All statistics courtesy of WhoScored.com

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