Chelsea and Liverpool in Defensive Crisis: Why the Clubs Did Not Buy a Top Defender.

Defensive Problems at Chelsea and Liverpool

According to The Sun: Champions of spending this summer in the Premier League, Chelsea and Liverpool are currently facing serious problems in defense. Both clubs have spent over £700 million but have failed to find a quality center-back, which could be a decisive factor in their encounter tomorrow at Stamford Bridge.

Liverpool attempted to sign a world-class center-back, but a £35 million deal for Crystal Palace player Marc Guehi fell through on deadline day.

Meanwhile, Chelsea did not make decisive steps to sign Guehi or any other experienced defender, despite a serious injury to key player Levi Colwill in preseason matches.

Defensive Selection Issues at Chelsea

Enzo Maresca's team will have to field their sixth different pair of center-backs in ten games when they face Liverpool. Trevoh Chalobah, who played alongside Benoit Badiashile in the Champions League victory over Benfica, will miss the game due to a red card in the previous match against Brighton.

Chalobah had played in all the matches but with five different defensive partners. Josh Achéampong, Tosin Adarabioyo, Wesley Fofana, Jarell Hato, and Badiashile provide Maresca with many options, but the question remains as to how ready they are for big challenges.

However, none of them are at the level of Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk or Arsenal's William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães.

Fofana has faced injuries since his move from Leicester three years ago, and he and Badiashile are trying to get back to peak form.

Tosin will miss his fifth consecutive match due to a calf injury, and while he remains a reliable defender, this is not enough to achieve titles in the Premier League and Champions League.

Moreover, Hato, who joined from Ajax for £37 million, played mostly as a left-back last season, while he is only 19 years old, just like Chelsea academy graduate Achéampong, who usually lines up on the right flank.

When Colwill was ruled out for an extended period, Maresca's first reaction was to indicate the need to sign a new player. However, the management decided that this would not happen.

Instead, Chelsea focused on bringing in attackers such as Alejandro Garnacho and Facundo Buonanotte, which allowed Liverpool to attempt to sign Guehi.

However, after winning the battle for Alexander Isak from Newcastle, Liverpool failed to reach an agreement with Crystal Palace.

The failure to sign Guehi has placed Liverpool in a difficult situation, as Ibrahima Konaté has been showing poor performances, worsening the team’s standing.

Some fans criticize Trent Alexander-Arnold for not being very confident in his game, but Konaté continues to have problems trying to negotiate a new deal with the club amid interest from Real.

Overall, the failure of both clubs to sign center-backs looks particularly bitter against the backdrop of their significant spending this summer.

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