Why Chelsea’s Squad Is Now Slightly Better

It’s been another successful transfer window for Chelsea, offloading two fringe players and bringing in an exciting winger in Juan Cuadrado.

With the late departure of loanee Ryan Bertrand last night, the club even managed to make profit again.

The big debate now is whether Chelsea are better or weakened after selling two and signing just one player. In my opinion, we are slightly better.

As cruel as it sounds, replacing Mohamed Salah was never an option, simply because we didn’t need to. He only made a handful of appearances during his time at Stamford Bridge, therefore his departure doesn’t really change anything.

Andre Schurrle on the other hand was a very good squad player. He impressed me last season and during Germany’s triumph in Brazil, even though I was never a massive fan.

However, this season was different, there was no real urgency in his game. I remember his performance against Shrewsbury and I couldn’t believe how poor he was.

Was it perhaps a motivational problem he felt after winning the World Cup? Only he knows. His mysterious illness might have also played a role in this sad downfall. His passion for the club will definitely be missed.

Now, why do I believe Chelsea are slightly better than two days ago? Well, Cuadrado’s versatility is one of my main reasons. As well as playing in his regular wing position, he can also play as a right midfielder and, crucially, at right-back.

Not only does he have more pace than Schurrle, he also has better defensive abilities.

Even now I’m struggling to forget the German’s poor defending at the Etihad earlier in the season, which eventually lead to Frank Lampard scoring the equaliser for Manchester City.

Would it have happened with Cuadrado on the pitch? That’s impossible to say, but my gut feeling tells me he would have closed down James Milner in time to block the cross.

Our full-backs especially Branislav Ivanovic – are often exposed, so having a pacey winger to help out is definitely an improvement.

The Colombian’s ability to beat a player 1 v 1 also really excites me, it’s something we haven’t had on the right since Arjen Robben played for Chelsea which was nearly a decade ago.

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