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3 Reasons Why This German Centre Back Would Be An Icing In The Cake For Chelsea’s Back Line

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Antonio Conte has been making all the right decisions at Chelsea. The Stamford Bridge side have climbed to the top of the Premier League table on the back of nine back to back league wins. Conte’s tactics have seemed to bear fruit after a slow start to the league.

However, Chelsea do seem to need one or two reinforcements, especially in defence. John Terry is in his final years as a professional player and Gary Cahill is well past his prime. Kurt Zouma, who showed immense promise earlier, is making a comeback from a devastating injury and it remains to be seen how he progresses.

Conte needs to the ideal partners to David Luiz in Chelsea’s three-man defence and a potential target could be German youngster Niklas Sule. The 21-year-old defender who plays for 1889 Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga had been linked with a move to Chelsea before turning down the offer.

Here are three reasons as to why Sule would be the perfect addition to Chelsea’s back line.

1. The experience of playing in a back three.

Niklas Sule has been one of the most integral members in Julian Nagelsmann’s side. Nagelsmann has opted for a three-man defence, a tactic which has proved successful so far. Sule has appeared in 12 league matches already and is garnering all the experiences of playing in back three.

Conte has adopted the three-man defence since the loss against Arsenal and A defender with the experience could come in handy as neither John Terry nor Gary Cahill nor Cesar Azpilicueta is used to playing in such a role. Cahill has been caught out a few times already this season.

Niklas Sule

What Conte needs is a player who is adept at playing in a three-man defence and Sule seems perfect for the role. He would easily fit into Chelsea’s defence should he arrive at Stamford Bridge.

2. Ideal replacement for John Terry

John Terry could be in his final months as a Chelsea player. The 35-year-old is considered as one of the best central defenders of his generation, but he is certainly not getting any younger.

A strong, physical, commanding yet tenacious defender, Terry is known for his aerial prowess and excels in aggressive tackling, leadership, and game reading.

Sule is perhaps the centre-back that any coach would want in his team. The 6ft 5in towering defender is physically strong, well-built and outstanding in the air. He dominates in aerial duels and has been often lauded for his immaculate match reading.

The similarity is uncanny, and if he realises his full potential, Sule could be the next John Terry.

3. A defender for the long run

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Sule is only 21 years old and is already considered as one of Germany’s best talents. This season he has made 2.1 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per match in the Bundesliga, an impressive statistic for someone so young.

His passing is also very accomplished as he often seen starting attacks for his side. The fact that he started out as a striker is probably a testament to his abilities while pushing forward. He has scored some important goals already and has proved to be a threat in goal-scoring positions.

Another important statistic is that he has been booked only on seven occasions in 83 league matches and committed just 15 fouls in the entire 2015-16 campaign. Keeping all this mind, it is probable that Sule could develop into one of the best defenders in the near future and could be the ideal partner for the likes of Zouma and David Luiz in Chelsea’s defence in a few years.