Chelsea's leaky defence puts Alexander-Arnold return in the frame
Steven Gerrard says Chelsea need world-class defenders to compete at the top, while Glen Johnson urges a January move for Real Madrid's Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Chelsea sit fifth in the Premier League after conceding 16 goals in their opening 10 fixtures under new head coach Xabi Alonso, a defensive record bettered among top-half sides only by 10th-placed Aston Villa, according to figures reported by Yahoo Sports.
By contrast, leaders Arsenal have conceded just five times, and the gap has prompted former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard to argue that Chelsea must upgrade the quality of their back line if they are to challenge at the top of the division and in Europe.
"I think for Chelsea with Arsenal, City, Liverpool, and at the top end of the Champions League, I think they need to find world-class centre-backs and a world-class left-back," Gerrard told The Overlap Daily.
He pointed to the defence that underpinned Chelsea's most successful era as the benchmark the current squad has yet to reach, citing the back four of Ashley Cole, John Terry, Ricardo Carvalho and Branislav Ivanovic as a unit that proved it could compete at the top of the Premier League and the Champions League.
Turning to the present squad, Gerrard said there was "not much in it" between current goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and former stopper Petr Cech, acknowledging Martinez's World Cup pedigree, but argued Chelsea's current defenders still need to prove they can compete at the top end of the Premier League.
He also pointed to the midfield protection that shielded that back four, crediting Claude Makelele and Michael Essien with providing the base of a world-class spine, and said Chelsea need to recruit players of that calibre to move to the next level.
Chelsea's search for defensive reinforcement carries added urgency with club captain Reece James not expected back until at least mid-January following knee surgery last month, Metro Football reports.
That absence has sharpened focus on Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose move to Real Madrid has stalled, with the England right-back reduced to four starts this season behind summer signing Denzel Dumfries and with Jose Mourinho currently preferring midfielder Federico Valverde in that role.
Former Liverpool and Chelsea defender Glen Johnson, speaking to SeatPick, said the 28-year-old's situation in Madrid has become untenable. "Trent Alexander-Arnold will definitely be frustrated playing such a small role at Real Madrid this season," Johnson said.
"Before he went to Madrid, he would have planned on nailing down his spot at right back there, and then they brought in a new right back the summer after he arrived, which will have only frustrated him further," he added.
Johnson went further, framing a temporary switch to Stamford Bridge as mutually beneficial. "Trent is a top-class player, and no top-class player wants to sit on the bench, he wants to be playing regular football," he said.
Johnson suggested Chelsea move for the full-back in January, potentially on a loan deal, arguing it would suit both parties: Chelsea need cover at right-back while James recovers, and Alexander-Arnold needs regular minutes to rebuild his momentum.
He added that Alexander-Arnold's quality in the Premier League has already been proven, and suggested that restoring him to form under Alonso could solve Chelsea's immediate problem while helping revive his career.
With James sidelined into the new year and Chelsea's defensive numbers under scrutiny, the January window looks set to test whether Alonso's side can address the gap Gerrard believes separates them from the Premier League's leading pack.