By golly, we’ve done it. We have signed a player. For anyone that hasn’t yet seen the Twitter video announcing the signing of Antonio Rudiger, then please take a look. It’s cringe. Although some have said BAFTA worthy….
So now what? Well, we sign Bakayoko and then Alex Sandro. Then a striker. Simple. If we lose Bakayoko to United I’m going to perform a naked march outside Stamford Bridge.
Rather than focus on one single player (Lukaku, as that hasn’t turned out well at all), I’m going to spend the next couple of weeks just going over what we have got. We did win the league after all…
Goalkeepers
Thibaut Courtois
For me, the best in the land. Whilst De Gea may be a slightly better shot stopper and Lloris gets a lot of credit due to Tottenham’s style of play and their individual defensive qualities, it was Courtois who picked up the Golden Gloves last season. A picture of calm when at his best, he inspires confidence throughout the team. Rarely is he pictured coming away from his line, instead trusting his defence to do the work for him..his defence in turn growing in confidence through said trust.
A very good shot stopper, he makes difficult saves look easy. He uses his legs extremely well. He doesn’t make flashy saves, just does what he is told to do. He has certainly shown more passion and personality under Conte, forming a bond that seemed to be very much one of convenience under Mourinho. TB never looked truly happy playing for Chelsea under Jose but that all changed last season. He was often one of the first to join in post match celebrations and his and Conte’s interactions were a joy to behold, Conte seemingly bringing passion out of Courtois and enabling fans to bond more with the quiet Belgian.
Willy Caballero
A competent back up who arrived for free. A proven shot stopper and penalty saver, he will certainly come in handy in the cup competitions. Begovic was decent but Chelsea are a business everyone likes analysing. Getting 10m and a probably upgrade for a backup keeper is shrewd no doubt.
Eduardo
Apparently, he’s great in the dressing room. No one knows an awful lot about him and whether he is actually any good. I would imagine he’s got to be decent. The value of having a positive influence in the dressing room cannot be downplayed though, see David Luiz and the fantastic influence he has had since his return.
So one thing we don’t need this summer is a goalkeeper, We have the best in the league and a more than able deputy. We have a backup and a slew of youngsters to call on should we suffer a crisis. Courtois, when teamed with Conte, has the potential to become an all time great, both in terms of actual ability and also developing a genuine connection with fans.