UCL winner says Chelsea are still four windows away from their best

Champions League winner with Chelsea, Ryan Bertrand, has said that the Blues are still 'four windows away' from being at their very best.

• "Next year, you'll have the likes of Estevao coming into the first-team as well, and then there'll be Kendry Paez who'll follow, not long after that. These are big, big talents, who the club have invested heavily in, from around the world, who'll join up with the squad. How does that work with the current dynamic?"
• "It's an interesting situation at Chelsea right now, but like I said, I think within another four transfer windows from now, we'll see the team in its final form."
• "One thing you can't question at Chelsea is the commitment of the ownership. They clearly want the club to be the best, and they've funded - heavily - the squad. What was missing, perhaps, was someone that was tactically as good as Enzo Maresca with the ball."
• "He also fits the profile of the club right now, as someone who is young and on a journey, a bit like the team, in a way. Is the demand on him to come in and win the title straight away? Clearly not. So there's a lot of upside in his own trajectory, and his career, and perhaps that meets where this Chelsea team is right now."
• "If Arsenal don't win the Premier League this year, then they won't win it for a little while. It's a little bit like when Liverpool were chasing, and they had this burning desire, going after Man City. Arsenal are similar. They've had a couple of years of being the nearly men, making a lot of noise, putting in great performances, but ultimately falling short. They still have that togetherness, that drive and that ambition, but I'm not sure how long that lasts before fatigue sets in."
  

I do think Chelsea could still strengthen, of course. For example, if you look on that left-hand side, the left-wing, that spot is very much open for someone. They're willing Mikhailo Mudryk to finally come into the game, and start to show Champions League level performances, which haven't been there just yet. Jadon Sancho has come in now, too, so that left-hand side is there for someone to make it their own. 

There are probably a couple of areas in the middle of the park that need tinkering, or personnel changes. I think that's now what it's about; finding the right personnel for the right posititons. I can definitely see the team evolving in the next, I reckon, four transfer windows. After that, you'll see the team in its final form. 

Next year, you'll have the likes of Estevao coming into the first-team as well, and then there'll be Kendry Paez who'll follow, not long after that. These are big, big talents, who the club have invested heavily in, from around the world, who'll join up with the squad. How does that work with the current dynamic? Who gets moved on from the team, who maybe thinks they're doing well up to this point? There are going to have to be some players moving on, because there's been so much investment in these new players.

It's an interesting situation at Chelsea right now, but like I said, I think within another four transfer windows from now, we'll see the team in its final form. 

First and foremost, when it comes to Cole [Palmer], you've got to recognise that one thing Chelsea have done under this new ownership, is they've hired fantastically well in the director roles - and a guy called Joe Shields has got to take a lot of credit... he's the director of talent at Chelsea, and he's brought in some amazing players... Cole being one of them. He worked with him at Manchester City, so knew him inside out. People knew he was a good player, because he was at City, but not many people knew just how good he could be. Joe backed himself and requested to bring Cole in, and in doing so, he's brought in the best player in the Premier League right now. 

On Cole, though, I'd actually say he reminds me a little bit of Kevin De Bruyne - the Kevin De Bruyne I played with at Chelsea, that is. In Kevin's earlier stages, he played on the wings, and as he evolved as a player, he moved into a more central position... Cole reminds me of him; they're not exactly the same, but there are similarities there for me, for sure. Cole probably naturally plays a little bit higher up than Kevin does, but both have a very similar approach to the game.

One thing you can't question at Chelsea is the commitment of the ownership. They clearly want the club to be the best, and they've funded - heavily - the squad, assembling a strong group over time, and you can see how things are already coming together now. What was missing, perhaps, was someone that was tactically as good as Enzo Maresca with the ball. 

His team has a very consistent playing style, with no grey areas in the build-up play, or through the thirds of the team, and that's been very refreshing. The players fit the system that he's created, and once you get that pairing of the right players, with the right tactics, you get the performance, and that's what we're starting to see now... it's going to be very interesting to see how they keep going forward. 

I think he's managed things very well. He's had a lot to deal with; it hasn't just been a case of coming in, training and getting the team winning. You know, he's had to deal with the size of the squad, managing personalities within the dresisng room, he's had to make some big decisions involving some of the senior players, who will maybe feel hard done by, but have just been a victim of circumstance. It's a new model that's unveiling at Chelsea right now, and some of those players perhaps just don't fit the new model of the ownership, and where they want to take the club. 

I think Maresca has done amazing on all fronts, to be honest. One thing that's key with managers is just making sure there's a clear tactical plan, and not just being a talker of that plan, but being able to implement it. A lot of managers can talk about playing a certain way, but it never translates to the field. Only the great managers can translate their clear styles, whatever those styles may be. Maresca has done that in such a short space of time, and he deserves a lot of credit for that.

He also fits the profile of the club right now, as someone who is young and on a journey, a bit like the team, in a way. Is the demand on him to come in and win the title straight away? Clearly not. So there's a lot of upside in his own trajectory, and his career, and perhaps that meets where this Chelsea team is right now. 

My expectation for Chelsea this season is a top four finish. Definitely. The top three will be occupied by quite an obvious top three, and then I can see Chelsea coming fourth. 

If Arsenal don't win the Premier League this year, then they won't win it for a little while. They're the team that have momentum, they're the team that haven't won the league in a long time. It's a little bit like when Liverpool were chasing, and they had this burning desire, going after Man City. Arsenal are similar. They've had a couple of years of being the nearly men, making a lot of noise, putting in great performances, but ultimately falling short. 

They still have that togetherness, that drive and that ambition, but I'm not sure how long that lasts before fatigue sets in. If they don't win it this year, then I think you'll see a few changes at that club, and a bit of fatigue. 

I do see City winning it, to be honest. Arsenal will come second, Liverpool will finish third, and Chelsea in fourth.