How are one of Arsenal’s biggest rivals faring this summer?

Arsenal’s window is off to an up and down start with some great players brought in and some deals having slipped through the club’s fingers.

It’s very easy to really focus on Arsenal and sometimes it gets a bit tougher to check in on the clubs around us. This week I reached out to Gabe Henderson of our sister site The Pride of London to ask him about how Chelsea’s summer is playing out so far and to get his take on Arsenal.

How are one of Arsenal’s biggest rivals faring this summer?

You can follow Gabe on Twitter @GabeHSports and he’s a great follow if you’re looking to expand your sphere on there I really appreciate him helping me out with this piece.

Mitch: What would you say was Chelsea’s biggest need going into this window and have they filled it yet or are going to, soon?

Gabe: Chelsea’s biggest need always has been—and still is—central defence. Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger departed on free transfers earlier this summer, which leaves a huge hole in the Blues’ ranks. Trevoh Chalobah and Thiago Silva are the only real starting-calibre centre-backs at Chelsea right now, which is a huge issue considering Thomas Tuchel plays with a back three. Levi Colwill may help alleviate some of the pressure if he’s deemed ready, but if not, the Blues need two or three centre-backs. They haven’t filled those gaps yet, and although there have been talks, there is no imminent solution at this point.

Mitch: Who is your dream signing this summer?

Gabe: Matthijs de Ligt is my personal “dream” summer signing. I would love to add Declan Rice to that list, as well, given the midfield struggles last season. However, the lack of depth at the back means the dream must be a centre-half. Unfortunately, De Ligt may be a pipe dream at this point in time with Bayern Munich circling. He’s the perfect addition to Chelsea though, a great, young ball-playing centre-back with the mentality of a leader.

Mitch: Thoughts on Todd Bohley so far in his ownership?

Gabe: I think Todd Boehly has been a fantastic owner thus far. There’s a zero-tolerance policy for B.S. with him; he’s been a go-getter from the moment he took over. Boehly dove head first into a dumpster fire and he’s helped settle the situation. There was obviously a question of whether or not he’d be willing to spend as freely as Roman Abramovich—we now have the answer to that inquiry. Boehly seems to be the best part of early Abramovich with a more accountable and responsible approach. The American knows what football means to the fans. He’s only trying to enhance that experience, and with his business background, rebuild (for lack of a better term) a football club with a rich history of success.

Mitch: What needs to happen to achieve a 10/10 window in your eyes?

Gabe: I don’t believe a 10/10 window is realistically achievable. Chelsea would have to sign two top-class centre-backs (ex: De Ligt and Jules Kounde), a versatile backup wing-back, Declan Rice, and one more winger (alongside Raheem Sterling) for me to personally give the Blues a perfect mark. In addition, they’d need to officially sell all of the deadwood in the squad (Tiemoue Bakayoko, Ross Barkley, Michy Batshuayi, Kenedy, etc.) as it allows Tuchel to construct the squad to his liking. If that happens, someone will need to pinch me. This summer is about rebuilding and retooling the team. Rome wasn’t built in a day, nor will Chelsea compete for the title next year.

Mitch: What are your thoughts on Arsenal’s business so far this window?

Gabe: I think Arsenal’s done some great business thus far. The Gunners won’t be mounting a title challenge next season—the squad is far too young for that—but they’re taking steps in the right direction.

I again want to thank Gabe for his great answers to these questions. I think Chelsea’s window is going alright. Like Gabe said if they don’t manage to fill those holes at centre-back they could run into some big trouble. Sterling is a fantastic signing for them and if they can add some more attacking firepower on top of that they could have a great season. Ultimately, I think as of right now they’re closer to us than Liverpool or City because there are just so many changes in the squad. I’ll be interested to see what they do the rest of the window and catching up with Gabe about it.