How Frank Lampard's backline could look next Premier League season

Bengaluru, Aug 26: Chelsea this summer look likely to make a significant change at Stamford Bridge, with a high turnover of players coming and going. Frank Lampard's side has already been busy in the transfer market ahead of the new campaign with the signing of Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech, while the club is also said to be pursuing a move for Bayer Leverkusen ace Kai Havertz.

But if reports are to be believed, there is still plenty of business left to be done. Lampard's one of the main priority of the Summer is also to brush up the backline and as per reports, deals for Leicester left-back Ben Chilwell and PSG defender Thiago Silva are now very close. Chilwell will likely arrive at Bridge for a £50million deal while Silva will complete a free transfer following his contract's end at Paris.

Both of them are likely to slot directly in the first team promptly which would make a whole lot of changes to their backline. There are two ways Chelsea could organise their defence with them in the side.

Here, we have looked into both the scenarios featuring players with back four formations and back three systems.

Back four

Lampard's most preferred system last season was the traditional 4-2-3-1 setup and he could go on with the same formation again. Veteran Silva is likely to directly slot into the backline while there would be four other players who would fight for the other slot in central defence. Of the four currently at the club, Antonio Rudiger has the highest profile but he has to make an improvement in his consistency. If he fails to deliver, Andreas Christensen and Kurt Zouma are good enough backups for him when need be.

At the left-back, it’s clear Lampard doesn’t rate his current options and Chilwell for Marcos Alonso or Emerson Palmieri is one of the easier decisions Lampard are likely to make. Youngster Recce James could have a better run of games this season at the right-back but experienced Azpilicueta could be the natural select at first.

Back Three

In certain games, Lampard also used a backline featuring three defenders and with the new signings, it is also possible for him to try that more often. However, it may not be much different from the above-mentioned combination. The major difference could be Azpilicueta shifting as the right-central back while James may take charge of the right-wing back position. The other three options could be Silva, Rudiger as central-defender and Chilwell as a left wingback.