Todd Boehly could grant Thomas Tuchel the perfect replacement for Antonio Rudiger this summer, with Chelsea plotting a move for Presnel Kimpembe. The 26-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge as he enters the final two-years of his contract at Paris Saint-Germain.
Kimpembe, who is valued at around £34million by CIES Football Observatory, featured 41 times for the French giants last season, steering the club towards another Ligue 1 title. The France international's impressive displays helped Mauricio Pochettino sustain the best defensive record in the league, though his efforts weren't enough to navigate PSG into the latter stages of the Champions League.
Nonetheless, Kimpembe has courted the attention of the Blues and a reunion with former boss Tuchel seems well on the cards. football.london understand that Chelsea are expected to table a formal offer for the centre-back at some point this week.
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In the meantime, newly-appointed PSG boss Christophe Galtier has spoken on the prospect of Kimpembe leaving Les Parc des Princes amid interest from the Premier League. Speaking to L'Equipe, he said: "I've read everything been said about Kimpembe. We even laughed about it together. I like him - he's great centre-back but what will happen, I don't know."
So, with that having been said, football.london looks at how Tuchel can set up the perfect Chelsea backline this season if Kimpembe pens a deal in west London.
3-4-3
This formation has become synonymous with Chelsea since Tuchel took over from Frank Lampard, with the back-three playing a pivotal role in an excellent defensive record. Antonio Rudiger played a crucial role on the left of the backline and Kimpembe could follow suit.
The Germany international was a pillar in Chelsea's success since switching to a back-three. While many supporters would like to see Levi Colwill in the said role, football.london understand the Cobham graduate is being assessed by Tuchel in a central centre-half role - essentially the 'Thiago Silva role'.
4-3-3
A back-four formation would likely hinder Colwill's game time at Chelsea, though his versatility means that he can deputise some world-class defenders in Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva, Kalidou Koulibaly and, potentially, Kimpembe. With that being said, Kimpembe would give Tuchel a major headache when just two centre-halves can be selected.
Kimpembe has played more under Tuchel than he has any other manager in his career, while also often captaining many of the German's sides. Rudiger will almost certainly be a major loss for Chelsea, though the Frenchman seems the perfect candidate to compensate for such a big departure.
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