Mauricio Pochettino’s ideal Chelsea XI vs West Ham, with Moises Caicedo’s transfer finalized

football.london examines what Chelsea’s line-up against West Ham at the weekend could look like if the club had signed Moises Caicedo by then

Chelsea are now extremely close to signing Moises Caicedo from Brighton & Hove Albion.

As football.london reported late Sunday evening, after months of negotiations for the midfielder, Chelsea have agreed a £115million deal with Brighton to sign Caicedo. The Ecuador international will complete his move to Stamford Bridge before sealing a British record transfer.

Chelsea will officially confirm the move very soon after beating rivals Liverpool for Caicedo. As long as everything goes according to plan, there’s a serious chance the 21-year-old will be in the squad for the weekend when the Blues make a short trip to the London Stadium to take on West Ham United.

It will be a welcome boost for Mauricio Pochettino, who currently has few options in central midfield. Conor Gallagher put in an excellent performance in Chelsea’s draw with Liverpool on Sunday, with the England international playing from the base of midfield.

However, that wasn’t a natural position for Gallagher, nor does it seem like a long-term solution. Caicedo’s replacement means Chelsea could potentially revert to the 4-2-3-1 system that Pochettino used during the club’s pre-season tour of the United States.

With that in mind, football.london takes a look at how Chelsea could line up this weekend when they travel to the Hammers on Sunday. Note: This only applies if Caicedo signs up in time for the Blues’ second Premier League game of the season.

Robert Sanchez will be back in goal for Chelsea. The Spaniard made his debut for the Blues against Liverpool on Sunday as Kepa Arrizabalaga completed his loan spell at Real Madrid. The transfer is now complete.

We could imagine Chelsea reverting to a four-man defensive lineup that includes Reece James and Ben Chilwell at the back. Just like Axel Disasi did on his debut, Pochettino could use Thiago Silva and Levi Colwill as centre-backs at the London Stadium.

Then the exciting part: two midfielders in Enzo Fernandez and Caicedo. Everything that makes a successful partnership is there on paper. We saw Enzo in a more advanced role against Liverpool this weekend and it worked wonders. Having Caicedo on his side will give the Argentine even more freedom to express himself in the final third.

Raheem Sterling showed signs of improvement against Liverpool without delivering an absolutely outstanding performance. With Noni Madueke unable to play football this summer, Sterling appears to be the go-to spot for the right flank, with Mykhailo Mudryk at the other.

Carney Chukwuemeka could be cast in the No.10 role – a position he’s admitted in the past could be his best. Nicolas Jackson is the obvious and sensible choice as a No9 after impressing against Liverpool without being at his best in front of goal.

Potential Chelsea XI vs West Ham: Sanchez; James, Silva, Colwill, Chilwell; Fernandez, Caicedo; Sterling, Chukwuemeka, Mudryk; jackson

More news……….

Tuchel called the player with 284 Premier League appearances “incredible,” and Chelsea are now interested in signing him.

Kepa Arrizabalaga is moving to Real Madrid, so Chelsea is now looking to replace him with Kasper Schmeichel.

So says the Guardian, at least.

Let’s take a look at the situation involving Chelsea and Kasper Schmeichel.

What’s the story?

Thibaut Courtois’ serious knee injury sustained during training has led Real Madrid to unexpectedly turn their attention to Kepa as a potential transfer target.

The Spanish powerhouses are on the verge of finalizing a season-long loan agreement after beating Bayern Munich to the services of the Spain international.

Furthermore, it is claimed that after the loan period is over, Real Madrid won’t have the choice or duty to sign Kepa on a long-term basis.

Chelsea may push to get Schmeichel back to the Premier League once the Spaniard returns to his home country.

In August 2022, after spending 11 years at Leicester, the Danish international left these shores to join OGC Nice.

What’s the story?

Due to Thibaut Courtois’ serious knee injury sustained during training, Kepa has emerged as a surprise transfer target for Real Madrid.

The Spanish powerhouses have secured the services of the Spain international ahead of Bayern Munich, and a season-long loan agreement is soon to be finalized.

Furthermore, it is claimed that after the loan period is over, Real Madrid won’t have the choice or duty to sign Kepa on a long-term basis.

Chelsea may push to get Schmeichel back to the Premier League once the Spaniard returns to his home country.

The international player from Denmark left these lands in August 2022 to join OGC Nice after spending 11 years at Leicester.

With the Foxes, Schmeichel won the FA Cup in 2021 after they defeated Chelsea by a score of 1-0. During that time, he made 284 Premier League appearances, miraculously winning one league title against all odds.

Mason Mount made a particularly noteworthy save in that FA Cup final, prompting Thomas Tuchel to call the Dane “incredible”; he was unquestionably one of the best while playing in England, and it was telling that Leicester suffered relegation after he left.

Kasper Schmeichel might turn out to be a very wise acquisition by Chelsea.

In our opinion, Schmeichel could be a wise acquisition given his background.

The 36-year-old is unlikely to start ahead of Robert Sanchez, but he has a wealth of playing experience and is familiar with what a championship-winning locker room looks like.

Schmeichel may prove to be an important player for Mauricio Pochettino even if he doesn’t play a single game because Chelsea only has a small number of players over the age of 25 this season.

Watch this situation closely as Chelsea tries to replace Kepa before the deadline.