Former England international John Barnes has questioned Chelsea's transfer strategy this summer. Thomas Tuchel has welcomed Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella to Stamford Bridge in a bid to compensate for the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen.
Meanwhile, Cesar Azpilicueta has been penned an extension with the Blues which keeps him in West London until 2024 and Thiago Silva sees his deal expire in 11 months; the duo have a combined age of 69 years. It is for this reason that Todd Bohely's transfer strategy has been questioned, with Chelsea said to face a number of "long-term problems" despite their short-term fixes.
Speaking to BonusCodeBets, Barnes has cast doubt over the future of the Blues' backline due to the number of ageing players. He said: "I don't necessarily see this as a problem this season as the season gets longer. It’s a problem long-term. Because in the coming years they’ll have to replace them.
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"I love that Azpilicueta just signed a new contract - he’s gonna be there. Thiago Silva is obviously older, so, that will be an issue.
"Kalidou Koulibaly is a fantastic player and he'll be there for three to four years. But, of course, Koulibaly is a fantastic player. Whatever his age is, he’s gonna be there for the next three or four years.
"For the short-term, it's not a problem. So, for the short-term, I don’t see that being a problem for Chelsea. But long term, they are gonna have to address that issue when the time comes. But I think for this year they’ll be comfortable."
It must be said that amid the emerging 'age problem' brought up by Barnes, Chelsea have Levi Colwill on a season-long loan at Brighton this season. The teenage defender was expected to feature for Tuchel this season after an impressive spell at Huddersfield Town last term.
And, what makes Colwill such a special talent is that he's been likened to club legend and former captain John Terry. Having worn the No.26 while on loan at the Terries, the Cobham graduate said: "I'll take it. I'm not going to complain. It's not a bad thing to be called the new John Terry.
"I haven't made the comparison myself, so the fans and media can make whatever comparisons they want to make, it isn't going to affect me. John Terry is a club legend and leader, someone every centre-back at Chelsea should look up to."
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