The countdown to the start of the 2020/21 Premier League campaign has officially begun.
After just over a week since finally ending the 2019/20 season, losing 4-1 to Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Chelsea now have to wait less than a month before the curtain rises on the 2020/21 season.
Having secured a respectable fourth place in their first season under Frank Lampard, Chelsea will now look to build on that next season and compete for the Premier League title.
But in order to have any chance of approaching the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City in pursuit of glory, Lampard, with the help of the Blues’ transfer guru Marina Granovskaia, will need to strengthen his squad.
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Although the transfer window only opened just under three weeks ago, the Stamford Bridge club have already secured two new signings before the shutters were even raised, signing both Ajax midfielder Hakim Ziyech and forward. Germany’s Timo Werner from RB Leipzig.
While both Ziyech and Werner, who are expected to be joined at Stamford Bridge this summer by Bayer Leverkusen starlet Kai Havertz, will add a new element to Chelsea’s offensive options, it’s in defense that they need fresh blood.
Despite securing a top-four finish during the 2019/20 season, Chelsea have conceded more goals (54) than any other club that finished in the top half of the Premier League table, highlighting Lampard’s need to strengthen his defensive options, both center-back and left-back.
And when it comes to strengthening left-back they are two players who continue to be strongly linked to the move to West London, with Leicester City’s Ben Chilwell and Real Madrid’s Sergio Reguilon dominating the gossip columns.
While England international Chilwell has been one of the top-performing left-backs in the Premier League in recent seasons, Reguilon, currently on loan at Sevilla, has been superb in La Liga this season, sparking interest from the Blues.
If Chelsea explored the option of signing Reguilon, who is valued at around £ 23m, they could get their dream jersey number at Stamford Bridge, but only on one condition.
This is because Reguilon, who is 23, has worn the number 23 shirt over the past two seasons, both at Real Madrid and on loan to Sevilla.
At Chelsea, the number 23 shirt is currently owned by Belgian Michy Batshuayi, but it looks like he will come off Stamford Bridge this summer, with a number of clubs, including Leeds United, who are reportedly showing interest in him.
So, if Batshuayi signs an exit from Chelsea this summer, Reguilon could seal a pass at Stamford Bridge and get his favorite shirt number.
In the past, Reguilon has also worn numbers three, 11, 12, 14 and 29.
With Reguilon wearing a variety of different numbers in the past, which of those aforementioned numbers would have been available to him at Stamford Bridge?
Here, football.london take a closer look at what numbers are currently available in West London.
(Image: Fran Santiago / Getty Images)
No.6
This jersey number is technically already owned by a Chelsea player in the form of Danny Drinkwater.
But it was vacant throughout the 2019/20 season because the former Leicester City man had been on loan at Burnley and Aston Villa.
Even though Drinkwater has returned to Chelsea, he is very likely to leave this summer, which means that number 6 will become vacant.
No.10
The no. 10 recently became vacant at Stamford Bridge following Willian’s exit.
The Brazilian winger, who has since joined Arsenal, wore the number 10 for the 2019/20 season, following Eden Hazard’s move to Real Madrid last summer.
The chances of a left back picking up the number 10 jersey are slim, more suited to players like Ziyech or Werner.
No.14
Number 14 belongs to Tiemoue Bakayoko, who recently returned to Stamford Bridge after a spell on loan at AS Monaco.
Bakayoko, who made 21 appearances during his time with the Ligue 1 club, appears to have no future at Stamford Bridge, meaning he looks set to seal a definitive exit this summer.
No.15
Number 15 is also occupied, this time by Nigerian winger Victor Moses, currently on loan to Antonio Conte’s Inter.
He impressed with Antonio Conte at San Siro during the second half of the season and could be in line for a definitive move to Italy.
No.16
Different jersey number, same situation. Number 16 belongs to Brazilian winger Kenedy, on loan this season, this time to La Liga team Getafe.
He too could be in line for a permanent departure from Stamford Bridge this summer.
No.21
Once again, this jersey number is currently held by a player who spent the 2019/20 season on loan in the form of Davide Zappacosta.
He spent the 2019/20 season on loan at Roma and saw his season plagued with injury problems. He may also be in danger of being let go of the Blues permanently this summer.
No.25
The number 25 hasn’t been worn by a Chelsea player since Gianfranco Zola left the club way back in 2003.
It hasn’t been officially retired from the club, but signs suggest the Blues don’t want anyone to wear it, as it has now been vacant for 17 years.
No.26
Just like Chelsea’s decision not to allow anyone to choose the number 25 shirt, the same can be said for the number 26 shirt.
That jersey number hasn’t been worn since John Terry, who will go down in history as one of the club’s most famous players, left Stamford Bridge at the end of the 2016/17 season.
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No.27
Current defender Andreas Christensen recently donned the number 27 shirt before taking on the number 4 shirt before the start of the 2019/20 season.
The number 27 could fit a left-back like Reguilon.
No.30
This particular shirt number was used to former Blues defender David Luiz prior to joining Arsenal last year.
Number 30 has been worn by some memorable faces in the past, including Yossi Benayoun and Jesper Gronjkaer.
No.32
Finally, the number 32 shirt has been vacant at Stamford Bridge since 2016, when Marco Ameila replaced Stamford Bridge with Italian team Vicenza.
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