{"id":1390546,"date":"2025-08-02T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-02T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?post_type=features&p=1390546"},"modified":"2025-08-02T17:03:51","modified_gmt":"2025-08-02T16:03:51","slug":"three-ways-chelsea-lineup-2025-26","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/three-ways-chelsea-lineup-2025-26\/","title":{"rendered":"Three ways Chelsea could line up in 2025-26 after busy summer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Chelsea have unsurprisingly had a busy summer in the transfer window.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Blues return to the Champions League in 2025-26, after securing a top-four finish. They’re also looking to build on a season which saw them win the Conference League and the Club World Cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And they’re not resting on their laurels. The Blues have been working hard to bolster their attack this summer. They’ve signed Liam Delap, Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens already. Estevao is also officially a Chelsea player, after agreeing a move last year. And Xavi Simons appears close to signing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further back, Chelsea have also signed Dario Essugo and are reportedly close to announcing Jorrel Hato.<\/p>\n\n\n

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    But there have also been sales and loan departures. Noni Madueke, Joao Felix, Djordje Petrovic and Kepa Arrizabalaga are the biggest names to leave permanently. Mike Penders, Kendry Paez and Mamadou Sarr have all departed temporarily to sister club Strasbourg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The question is, how will Chelsea line up should all their deals get over the line? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    World champions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Maresca has favoured the 4-2-3-1 at Chelsea, and that looks unlikely to change. But we may see some new personnel thrown in for the 2025-26 season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The biggest question is who will lead the line. When Liam Delap signed earlier this summer, it was thought that he’d challenge Nicolas Jackson for the starting striker spot. But then Joao Pedro arrived and scored three goals in three games at the Club World Cup. He now looks to be first choice.<\/p>\n\n\n

    <\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Pedro started the Club World Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain, with Delap coming off the bench for him. And the Brazilian was the more accurate striker in the Premier League last season. He hit the target with 60.61% of his shots and had a conversion rate of 30.3%. Pedro was also more successful in his duels than both Delap and Jackson per 90 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Enzo Fernandez played behind Pedro in the Club World Cup final. And he may continue in the No.10 role. It would give him the freedom to be more attacking, but also drop deep to make a midfield trio depending on the state of the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Fernandez playing through the middle also then pushes Cole Palmer onto the right. And that’s where he thrives. The Englishman was so much better in his first campaign at Chelsea being able to cut in from the right, rather than starting centrally last season. Although he created around the same amount of chances per 90 across the two campaigns, Palmer provided 0.38 assists per 90 in 2023-24 compared to just 0.23 per 90 in 2024-25.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Pedro Neto is most effective on the left and has shown defensive strengths to cover the marauding Marc Cucurella — who will be left-back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    There’s another question of the midfield duo. Moises Caicedo has one spot nailed down, finding his feet as one of the best central midfielders in the Premier League. Reece James partnered him in the Club World Cup final, and has been used more as a midfielder under Maresca. But we may see Romeo Lavia come into the midfield, with James dropping to right-back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In the centre of the defence, a strong partnership of Levi Colwill and Trevoh Chalobah is growing and it would be a strange choice to break that. Robert Sanchez remains Maresca’s No.1 goalkeeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Strong backups<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    If Pedro is first-choice striker, Delap would spearhead a pretty strong rotational team — getting the nod over Jackson. Even with the system staying the same. It’s this XI that really shows Chelsea’s strength in depth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Delap averaged 0.41 goals per 90 in the league last season, which was slightly better than Jackson’s 0.40. He can also bully defences with his physicality, something Jackson doesn’t quite have despite his strengths elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Playing behind Delap would be Simons, who is yet to be confirmed as a Chelsea player. There is a lot of hope surrounding the Dutchman who can provide an extra goal threat from the middle. Simons created 51 chances in the Bundesliga last season, providing seven assists. He also scored 10 goals himself, all from open play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Simons would be flanked by two new faces to make a completely fresh attack. On the left is Gittens, who will be hoping to fight his way into the starting XI. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    One of Chelsea’s biggest issues on the left last season was Jadon Sancho not wanting to take his man on. Instead, Sancho would pass the ball back and sometimes bring an end to promising phases. Chelsea won’t have that issue with Gittens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Englishman averaged 7.51 attempted take-ons per 90 in the Bundesliga last season, the most of any winger with at least 1,530 minutes played. He also ranked top for take-ons completed, with 3.88 per 90.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    On the right, Estevao brings promise but also some raw quality early on. The Brazilian is very much a wide player, hugging the touchline for Palmeiras a lot in the 2025 Brazilian Serie A season. He leads the way for take-ons attempted at 60 — an average of 6.45 per 90 minutes. The Brazilian has also completed 2.26 of those per 90.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    In midfield, Andrey Santos and Dario Essugo would be an interesting pairing. Essugo would be the more defensive of the two midfielders, allowing Santos to roam — much like Caicedo and Fernandez before them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    There’s another (unconfirmed) fresh face in defence too, with Hato at left-back. The Dutchman is capable of playing both at left-back and centre-back, which is great for Maresca. But it feels as though left-back will be his primary role, to give Cucurella much-needed rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A centre-back pairing of Tosin Adarabioyo and Benoit Badiashile would start for a lot of well-established clubs. And Filip Jorgensen isn’t a bad goalkeeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    A change in system<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Maresca has also used a 4-3-3 from time to time at Chelsea. He used it twice at the Club World Cup, losing to Flamengo and beating Fluminense with it. And it was his favoured system at Leicester City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If he stays, Jackson could spearhead an experimental lineup if Maresca wanted to shake things up for a favourable cup tie. Unfortunately Chelsea don’t have the Conference League to do this in 2025-26.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As mentioned, Jackson isn’t a striker to bully defences. He wants to pull them apart with his runs, while also winning the ball high up by pressing hard. The Senegalese striker averaged 0.88 tackles per 90 in the Premier League last season, the fifth-best among strikers to play at least 1,710 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Jackson also ranked very high for possessions won in the attacking third per 90, with his 0.8 coming fourth among strikers in the Premier League. Then, of course, he is still a goal threat. Only three strikers managed more shots per 90 than Jackson’s 3.06 last season, while he ranked fourth for efforts on target (1.41 per 90).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    As we’ve got the FA Cup or Carabao Cup in mind for this lineup, Palmer wouldn’t be anywhere near the XI — unless Chelsea are playing a big club. So Neto switches over to the right, and we know he can produce from there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Tyrique George occupies the other flank in this rotational front three. He has also played across the front line for Chelsea, including as a false nine. But the Englishman is very much a winger. He averaged 0.19 goals and 0.29 assists per 90 in the league and Conference League last season. George also created 1.91 chances, while taking 2.39 shots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The midfield we’ve put together here is crazy. But it might work. As mentioned earlier, Maresca has used James part of his double pivot. So why not use him as a sole No.6. Now, it’s not a completely lone role, because Santos can drop alongside him. There’s also Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to fit in. The Englishman is a useful squad player for Chelsea. He’ll realistically never be a starter until there’s a comfortable cup match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Our defence for this lineup has a mixture of the first-choice centre-backs with backup full-backs. Colwill and Chalobah both have youth on their side so can play frequently, while Maresca will likely give Cucurella all the rest he can. And Hato is a more than capable deputy. With cup games in mind, we’ve stuck Jorgensen in goal ahead of Sanchez.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Read more:<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n