How Chelsea could have lined up with Neymar

Robin Bairner

20 Oct 2022 14:44 BST
3 min read

Chelsea’s starting XI could have looked very different this season had Neymar got his way and made a loan move to the club from PSG.

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According to a report from El Pais, the Brazil international was eager to move to Stamford Bridge after Kylian Mbappe requested that he be sold by the Parisians.

A deal never appeared to be particularly close, with PSG never receiving a formal bid for the Brazil international, but had he completed a transfer to the London side, how might they have looked?

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How Chelsea would have looked with Neymar

Thomas Tuchel was in charge for the duration of the summer transfer window but was sacked shortly afterwards to be replaced by Graham Potter, and it is in the current manager’s framework that this team is built.

Potter, of course, is known for his flexible approach, so the 3-4-2-1 is just one demonstration of how Chelsea might have looked if they had added Neymar to their ranks – a move that surely would mean that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would have stayed at Barcelona.

For that reason, Kai Havertz is the likeliest option to play in attack in this system, although had Tuchel stayed on, Raheem Sterling would have been the preference in the No.9 role.

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Neymar slots in one of the No.10 positions alongside Mason Mount, while he will be flanked on the left by Ben Chilwell. Although not noted for his industry, Neymar’s figures are substantially better in this category than either Mbappe or Lionel Messi, so concerns over his ability to cover defensively should not be overplayed.

In any case, Chelsea would have a defensively minded midfield partnership of N’Golo Kante and Jorginho to fall back on. Matteo Kovacic offers cover in this area.

Meanwhile, the ideal defence sees little change, with Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana, whose arrivals would not have been compromised by a loan signing in attack, flanking Thiago Silva. Kepa Arrizabalaga starts in goal, having won the gloves from Edouard Mendy lately.