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Football London
Football London
Sport
Elliott Jackson

Chelsea's dream line-up after Romelu Lukaku, Niklas Sule and Gianluigi Donnarumma transfers

Chelsea are keen on another big summer transfer window to bridge the gap to Manchester City.

Despite spending big last summer, the Blues are keen to add more firepower to their ranks, whilst also addressing several other key areas in their squad.

Timo Werner and Kai Havertz arrived for hefty price tags and have only just started to click, whilst Tammy Abraham and Olivier Giroud are set to leave in the summer so another striker is at the top of the agenda.

Thomas Tuchel's Blues have barely put a foot wrong since German's arrival in late January and with some key additions, there's a belief Chelsea could challenge Manchester City for the title.

Here's a look at how they could line up after a big summer.

Goalkeeper

Edouard Mendy was definitely an upgrade on the much-maligned Kepa Arrizabalaga however, there have still been some shaky moments from the ex-Rennes shot-stopper.

Finding a suitor for Arrizabalaga is not an easy task given his huge wages and hefty price tag but if Chelsea are to improve, he must move on to make room for a new number one.

AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma is out of contract this summer and attracting interest from big-names clubs across Europe. despite being only 22, he's racked up over 250 first-team appearances and would be a definite long-term successor for Thibaut Courtois.

Defence

Cesar Azpilicueta has been rejuvenated at right-centre-back and should Chelsea stick with a three-man defence, he's a definite starter. On the opposite side, Antonio Rudiger has been consistent since Tuchel's arrival.

The biggest dilemma is the heart of the back three. Thiago Silva isn't getting any younger and Andreas Christensen has impressed when deputising for the Brazilian.

Should Chelsea opt to add a younger, high-calibre recruit, Niklas Sule would be a great fit in the centre. Bayern chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has already admitted that a new deal for the defender, who is out of contract in 2022, may not be possible unless certain conditions are met.

At wing-back, Reece James and Ben Chilwell are in prime position to continue as Tuchel's first-choice pairing, with Marcos Alonso and Callum Hudson-Odoi also vying for those positions.

Midfield

Chelsea are well stocked with players capable of playing in Tuchel's double pivot. N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic should be first-choice when fit, with Jorginho and Billy Gilmour other alternatives. Mason Mount has also proven reliable playing in a more withdrawn role.

In the two number 10 positions, Mount is a guaranteed starter, leaving Hudson-Odoi, Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz, Timo Werner and Christian Pulisic fighting for the other role.

In the interest of variation, Pulisic or Werner seem logical choices as options that can go in-behind defences, with Mount keener to come to feet and link play.

Striker

A new number nine is the priority for Chelsea. Neither Werner or Havertz have convinced, whilst Giroud and Abraham are set to leave.

Erling Haaland is the top target, though Borussia Dortmund are still insistent that he will not leave. Romelu Lukaku has been linked with a return to Stamford Bridge, fresh from winning Serie A with Inter Milan.

Chelsea dream XI (3-3-4): Donnaruma; Azpilicueta, Sule, Rudiger; James, Kante, Kovacic, Chilwell; Mount, Werner, Lukaku.

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