Hazard, Courtois & Conte: The Questions That Will Shape Chelsea's Summer Reboot
"At times, we dominated the game and had chances to score. Over the two legs, we have hit the post four times. They gave everything, and we have to continue in this way, with this will to fight and desire to fight together."
Speaking to Chelsea TV following Wednesday's UEFA Champions League elimination to Barcelona, Antonio Conte had nothing but praise for his players' efforts at the Camp Nou. The aggregate scoreline may read 4-1, but he knows as well as anyone else that misrepresents the pattern of play over 180 minutes.
Chelsea were essentially torn apart by one man: Lionel Messi. The Argentinian scored three goals and assisted the other over the two legs, scything through the Blues defence at will. Take him out of the equation, and close Thibaut Courtois' legs a little, and we could be looking at a different outcome.
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All of this, sadly, matters little. The context of the loss will be forgotten. It's an open secret Conte's time at the club is nearly up—something reaffirmed by the Mirror's John Cross in the wake of Wednesday's result—and a full-scale reload beckons in the summer.
There are so many questions that require answers.
What Happens in the Dugout?
Chelsea's impending reboot is like a jigsaw, with the identity of the manager represented by the edge pieces. The first thing you do is collect the edges and construct the framework of the picture. Then you can fill in the rest.
But without a clear idea of who might replace Conte on the touchline, the picture remains a little fuzzy. In 2016, when the Italian accepted the job ahead of the UEFA European Championship, we had advance warning and were able to anticipate and pontificate. But now we are in the dark.
Further complicating things is November's departure of technical director Michael Emenalo, the man responsible for a fair chunk of Chelsea's transfer work. His replacement has yet to be hired, with Lille's Luis Campos and PSV Eindhoven's Marcel Brands both considerations, per Oliver Harbord of Football.London.
These two hires are crucial to what the picture ends up looking like.
What Happens Between the Sticks?
"What is certain is I will one day return to Madrid," Thibaut Courtois told Sport/Foot Magazine in February (h/t Jack Austin of The Independent). The words will have sent chills down Chelsea fans' spines as they glanced nervously at his contract expiration date: June 2019.
Fast-forward a month, though, and perhaps Blues fans wouldn't be so disheartened to see him leave. A recent slew of errors from the Belgium international, culminating in conceding three goals he arguably shouldn't have against Barcelona, has changed a lot of people's views on the matter.
B/R's Dean Jones recently analysed Real Madrid's pursuit of a new goalkeeper, naming David De Gea as the club's No. 1 target and Courtois the backup. It's difficult to foresee a scenario in which Manchester United willingly lose De Gea, which makes Courtois—with one year left on his deal at Chelsea and a family he misses still in Madrid—a realistic signing.
This would by no means be a disaster; in replacing him, the Blues have options; there would be Jan Oblak of Atletico Madrid, Alisson Becker of Roma, Samir Handanovic of Inter Milan and even Gianluigi Donnarumma of AC Milan to consider.
What Happens in Defence?
We don't know who will be in charge of Chelsea next season, but we can make observations based on the candidates who could replace Conte.
All but one of the continent's best, attainable managers at this time play a back four (the odd one out being Lazio's Simone Inzaghi), so it's reasonable to expect the Blues to return to that defensive shape next season.
That spells changes left and right.
Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso's wing-back roles would disappear, and the question must be asked whether either can play as an orthodox full-back. If not, would they be good enough on the wings to justify a spot in a top club's squad? January signing Emerson Palmieri, barely used by Conte, might well turn out to be the best option on the left in this scenario.
Cesar Azpilicueta would be relocated (again). He might be an exceptional centre-back in a back three, but at 5'10", he just isn't tall enough to play as one of a central pairing in the Premier League. He would thus go back to full-back, but which flank would he call home?
Finally, what will Chelsea then do with their central-defensive corps? It's perhaps most logical to utilise Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen as a partnership and build for the long term, keeping Gary Cahill around as a veteran presence. That would surely signal the end for David Luiz, though, and may necessitate the recruitment of another body.
What Happens with Eden Hazard?
The most crucial element of Chelsea's summer revolves around their most talented player, Eden Hazard. Does the Belgian sign a new contract—as he told the Mirror's Jack Rathborn in January he would—or has his mind changed over the past few months given the Blues' form has taken a turn for the worst?
How this saga unfolds affects everything.
Should he stay, Chelsea can look at new midfield options to complement him. They could consider moving him inside to the No. 10 role and run through candidates to refresh the wings. They will know they can promise their new manager the chance to manage one of the finest attacking talents in football. And through Hazard, a chance of silverware is possible.
If he goes, things would start to look a little bleak. The money received for the 27-year-old would need to be put to excellent use. Cesc Fabregas and Pedro are ageing, so Chelsea's midfield corps' star power is fading; take Hazard out of that equation, and things start to look ordinary.
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