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Chelsea icon has warning for Prem star – 'you need to be ready because it's tough'

Chelsea icon Claude Makelele has fired some words of warning to Chelsea's potential new centre-back as the Blues look to dip their toes into the transfer market

10:34, 20 Aug 2025

Trevoh Chalobah

Trevoh Chalobah could replace Levi Colwill(Image: Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

Chelsea icon Claude Makelele has fired some words of warning to Chelsea's potential new centre-back.

Makelele, 52, believes the Blues need some cover for Levi Colwill - who suffered an ACL injury earlier this month. It has been a hectic summer of football for the Blues, who conquered the world stateside back in July.

However, their win has come with a cost, and Colwill has now been sidelined for the majority of the season. Speaking to online sports platform Oddspedia, Makelele said: "It’s not just Chelsea.

"There are a lot of clubs that need this (centre-back cover).

"Of course, you need this because they will play FA Cup, Premier League, Champions League, all these competitions and you need to have 20 players to play in all these competitions.

Claude Makelele posing for a picture in front of a Champions League group

Claude Makelele had some words of warning for Chelsea(Image: Hatch Group)

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"Now Chalobah has come back, which shows how the loan system works to give us the quality that Chelsea deserve.

"The history of Chelsea, the way Chelsea will compete, because for playing Chelsea you need to be ready because it's tough. It's one of the most difficult teams in London to adapt to.

"And of course you will need a defender. But you need a defender who understands how Chelsea play, their history and come to help the club progress."

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The Blues started their Premier League season with a 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon. It could have been so much worse for the Blues.

Eberechi Eze saw his free-kick chalked off after a little-known VAR rule.

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The Premier League Match Centre account addressed the decision on X, explaining: "After VAR review, the referee overturned the original decision of goal to Crystal Palace.

"Referee announcement: “After review, away number six is less than one metre away from the wall as the shot is taken. Therefore, it's an indirect free kick and a disallowed goal”.

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