Last season was hugely disappointing for Chelsea, despite an FA Cup win. They struggled for form in the league, with striker Alvaro Morata unable to justify his big price tag by repaying the club with goals. Hazard looked discontent when he played and did not seem to hit the top level that he reminded us he was capable of in Russia with Belgium.
Chelsea miss out on Champions League for 2018/19 season
Chelsea finished fifth in the Premier League, meaning that they failed to qualify for the top competition in football – the Champions League. That has a huge knock-on effect, as not only does it mean that it is harder to attract new signings, it is also harder to keep their existing stars happy. We have already seen evidence of this, with Hazard talking about a possible move away from the club, with Real Madrid expected to pay big money to land their replacement for Ronaldo.
Hazard, Courtois and Willian expected to leave the club
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is another player that is looking to play elsewhere next season and with just one year left on his contract, Chelsea is expected to negotiate a sale to avoid losing him for nothing. Courtois is also on Real Madrid’s radar, with the Belgium teammates hoping to make the move from Chelsea to Madrid together.
Now it also looks like Willian will be leaving Chelsea. Barcelona made several bids for him that were turned down but they have now landed Malcolm, so that may have put an end to their interest. Manchester United will then be favourites to sign the player, in a move that will reunite him with former manager Jose Mourinho.
Melchiot outlines the problem of not offering Champions League football
Former Chelsea defender Mario Melchiot recently spoke about the concern around his former club now that they cannot offer Champions League football. He said of the Chelsea players linked with moves: “Those guys want to play in the Champions League. Clubs like Madrid or Barcelona, they don’t have that problem.”
He went on to discuss the importance of winning as many trophies as possible in your career and when you are on a team that cannot offer that, you have to consider joining another club.
Chelsea fans will not want to hear this from their former player but it is the harsh reality that they are facing right now. New manager Maurizio Sarri has been thrown in at the deep end, trying to keep hold of star players and bring in players that will help Chelsea back into the Champions League. As the start of the Premier League draws closer, you would expect this Chelsea squad will see a lot of incomings and outgoings before the transfer deadline.
