There will be no Champions League football at Stamford Bridge next season, with Chelsea now unable to finish higher than seventh in the Premier League table.
Calum McFarlane’s side beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 on Tuesday night, but Bournemouth’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City means either they or Brighton & Hove Albion will grab the last potential Champions League spot, depending on what happens with Aston Villa.
If Villa win the Europa League and finish in fifth, sixth place will guarantee a place in Europe’s elite competition.
Chelsea have recently been linked with one Villa star, and he could be the man that helps them return to the Champions League.
Aston Villa's English striker #11 Ollie Watkins puts the ball in the net
Photo by Darren Staples / AFP via Getty Images
Ollie Watkins and Joao Pedro could be enough to secure Champions League qualification
Earlier this week, it was claimed that Chelsea have discussed the possibility of signing Ollie Watkins internally.
Since Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali took over Chelsea, the club’s policy has generally been to only bring in young players. However, it is thought that there will be a shift in strategy this summer after a disastrous season.
The Blues now appear to be open to bringing in more experienced players, and Watkins could be an ideal addition. Together with Joao Pedro, they could provide enough goals to get Chelsea back into the Champions League.
Watkins is one of the top strikers in the Premier League. This season, the Englishman has scored 14 goals in 36 games. In the previous campaign, he netted 16 times in 38 outings.
Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins is being linked with a move to Chelsea!
He ticks every box 🔥
Ollie Watkins' Premier League stats
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Pedro does not need to be replaced. His goal record this term has also been pretty good, but he did go on a drought earlier in the season and injuries do happen.
Liam Delap and Marc Guiu are not suitable alternatives, with the former scoring just once in the English top flight since joining Chelsea.
Whether Chelsea would be willing to pay £60m for a 30-year-old, which is how much Villa wanted for Watkins last summer, according to The Guardian, remains to be seen.
But this team requires more firepower, and the England international could be the man to add that as well as some much-needed experience.
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