Gary Neville believes Chelsea can ‘very quickly’ become a ‘decent side’ under incoming manager Xabi Alonso with the addition of four new signings.
Former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder Alonso will take over at Stamford Bridge in July after signing a four-year contract with the Blues.
Alonso, who was sacked by Real Madrid in January, will become Chelsea’s third manager in a year following Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior.
Chelsea finished fourth in the Premier League last season while winning the Conference League and Club World Cup, but have gone backwards this term.
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Sitting tenth with two games remaining, Chelsea are in real danger of not only failing to qualify for the Champions League but missing out on European football altogether.
Chelsea had the chance to at least partially salvage their season in the FA Cup final on Saturday but suffered a 1-0 defeat to Manchester City at Wembley.
Neville feels Chelsea are not too far away from once again competing for major trophies, however, and has identified the three positions Alonso needs to strengthen in his first transfer window.
‘Chelsea have such an inexperience in the club at every single department,’ the Manchester United legend said on his Sky Sports podcast. ‘They’ve got inexperience on the pitch and they’re going to have to change their model.
‘This strategy of only signing young player on massive contracts… no one is saying that signing young players but only signing young players is a big mistake.
‘So the first thing I think Xabi Alonso will do, he will want a new goalkeeper, a centre back and a centre forward with experience.
‘They’ve got some experience in central midfielder with Caicedo, Fernandez and Lavia, so they can keep those together and they’ve got something there.
‘They’ve also got a sprinkling of those fizzy wingers but they need a top centre forward. Joao Pedro is very good by the way, I like him, and Liam Delap is young.
‘But they need a top centre forward with strength and class, they need a centre back or two and they definitely need a new goalkeeper.
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‘I think if they can get those four players by spending a couple of hundred million and recycle fee out of the club, Chelsea can become a decent side very quickly, very quickly. They just lack experience and physicality down the spine.’
Two-time Champions League winner Alonso emerged as Chelsea’s top managerial target after Rosenior was sacked last month after just 106 days in charge.
After putting pen to paper on his deal with Chelsea, Alonso said: ‘Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in world football and it fills me with immense pride to become manager of this great club.
‘From my conversations with the ownership group and sporting leadership, it is clear we share the same ambition. We want to build a team capable of competing consistently at the highest level and fighting for trophies.
‘There is great talent in the squad and huge potential at this football club and it will be my great honour to lead it. Now the focus is on hard work, building the right culture and winning trophies.’
Chelsea face London rivals Tottenham on Tuesday night before visiting Sunderland on the final day of the season.
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