Chelsea have been told they must add more depth to their squad if they want to close the gap on Liverpool and Manchester City next season.
Former Blues midfielder Craig Burley says that going two transfer windows in a row without any significant additions has left the club playing catch-up at the top of the table.
Ajax star Hakim Ziyech is set to join this summer, but Frank Lampard is still keen on adding a striker to his squad to help take the pressure off Tammy Abraham.
Whilst Burley expects Christian Pulisic to play a big part under Lampard next season, he says that the Blues' squad depth is not currently good enough to launch a title challenge.
"I think Pulisic will play a big part for Chelsea next season but he will have competition for places," Burley told ESPN FC.
"If Lampard's Chelsea are going to challenge, and that's a big if, are going to challenge Liverpool and Man City amongst others, they're going to have to have a deep squad because the other two do have that.
"That's something as a player you've got to take on the chin and you've got to rise to the occasion that if you have a couple of bad games, you might just be out of the team, rather than 'Oh, I know I'm going to be in the team next week no matter how I play'.
"That's not going to happen if you're in the top three or four in the Premier League or any other big league around Europe or the world for the matter."
Former USA striker Herculez Gomez agreed over the prospect of Pulisic facing competition, claiming the 21-year-old will have to accept that is a reality of life at a club like Chelsea.
"This is just life at a big club," he said.
"Just to throw out some names, you've got Romelu Lukaku, Mohamed Salah, Kevin de Bruyne, Gonzalo Higuain, they've all made some sort of stop at Chelsea and then you're gone.
"If you can't produce in that half-season or whatever they give you, that's it and it's on to the next.
"That's life at a big club. If I'm Christian Pulisic, I'd never get comfortable, I have to fight for everything."
