“Spine players” – Former Chelsea player explains what club need to do this summer

One former Chelsea player has been explaining what he believes the club need to do this summer in the transfer market, and it’s pretty straightforward according to him.

I think there will be a fair few Chelsea fans in agreement with this as well, because last season it was mentioned quite a lot by some fans and former Blues players and pundits in general as well.

Sources: Inside Enzo Maresca’s first full training sessions at Cobham this week plus what he’s said in meetings already!

But former Chelsea player Frank Leboeuf believes the club need to sign more spine players during this summer’s transfer window.

But as we know, that just doesn’t seem to be their strategy anymore and they are signing up top younger talents largely for the future. Some of these players can be for the here and now as well, but many of them proved to be a little bit raw on their debut season last season.

Leboeuf explains what Chelsea need

“Nico Williams would be fantastic for Chelsea – but do you think he would go to Chelsea? They don’t have Champions League football,” Leboeuf told BoyleSports. “I follow La Liga and he has been brilliant for Bilbao all season. To put it his way, if I was Williams, I would never go to Chelsea.

“I saw so many players move to Saudi Arabia and I lost respect for them – like Ruben Neves who moved to Saudi at such a young age. I couldn’t have done that and it’s a similar situation to Nico Williams. So many big clubs want him and it would be odd for him to move to a club where they are not in the elite European tournament.

“I’m frustrated as a former Chelsea player. I still follow all my former clubs and especially Chelsea, as something special happened with me and the fans there when I was at the club. My frustration is now turning to anger. Chelsea change coaches but they are not thinking differently. I try to stay neutral – even when Chelsea play Man United – but I have to be professional.

“Chelsea as a football club is just not working and we are becoming a mockery for other clubs. We live in the present and not the future, fans want results and I want results, I don’t want to wait four years to get them.

“We need to sign spine players – look at what N’Golo Kante is doing at the Euros – it’s shameful why we’re getting rid of these players. We also got rid of Thiago Silva, who was our only experienced defender.

“We have talented players but they are far too young. There needs to be a blend of youth and wisdom of experience and we don’t have that – that is why we’re good and then terrible 15 minutes later and this is the new normal.”