Chelsea must be considered Premier League title challengers for 2020-21 now that they are preparing to welcome Timo Werner’s goals and Hakim Ziyech’s flair onto their books, says Shaun Wright-Phillips.
The Blues already have a deal tied up that will see the Morocco international winger join their ranks from Ajax. The release clause in the contract of the prolific German striker at RB Leipzig has also been triggered, with Frank Lampard wasting no time when it comes to strengthening his squad.
Further additions are also said to be in the pipeline, with Leicester left-back Ben Chilwell the next top target to chase down.
Wright-Phillips is excited by the business being done, with the former Blues wideman telling AmericanGambler of Werner: “I think Lamps has done tremendously there, he’s a great player.
“He is hungry for goals and it gives Lamps the option there, and with Ziyech in there, Chelsea’s front three is looking very strong. As you can see, he’s having a nice mix of maturity and young talent, and it’s very hard to go wrong with that.”
Wright-Phillips added on Ziyech: “He brings that attacking flair, he scores goals and he creates goals.
“We have seen him do it in the Champions League, and now other wingers and other midfielders have to up their game because there is a lot of competition there. Having a lot of players on top of their game can only be a good thing for Lamps for and for Chelsea.”
Chelsea are preparing to part with Willian and Pedro at the end of their respective contracts, but Christian Pulisic is already part of the fold at Stamford Bridge while goal threat is provided by the likes of Tammy Abraham and Olivier Giroud.
Wright-Phillips believes important pieces of a difficult puzzle are being collected by Lampard, with it possible that the Blues could soon come back into contention for English football’s grandest prize.
He added when asked if he sees Chelsea challenging for the Premier League crown: “Yes, definitely. I think next year if he gets the players that he wants and get his team exactly as he wants it, then 100%.
“They are still challenging for the Champions League spots now, so it’s only one step further forward, and that is challenging against Man City and Liverpool, who have run away with it this year.”
Chelsea will return to action on June 21 sat fourth in the table, three points clear of Manchester United and the Champions League-chasing pack with nine games left.