Chelsea beat Nottingham Forest on the final day of the Premier League season to cement their spot in next season’s UEFA Champions League. Despite having one of the youngest squads in the EPL, Enzo Maresca’s charges clinched their goal in dramatic style, after a mixed overall 2024/25 campaign.
Following that all-important result at the City Ground, former EPL star Paul Merson had a word of advice for the Blues.
He insisted Maresca must sign some experienced players to help his young group of players next season.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Merson said, “They are a young team. They need experience… They haven’t got that experience. I know they keep on buying all the best youngsters, but they’ve got to go out and get a bit of experience in. It’s priceless.
“When it’s not going well, you need experience to calm everything down. They haven’t had that. That’s what they’ve got to go out and buy.”
Merson has a strong case to make, as Chelsea have qualified for the Champions League with the youngest team in Premier League history, but it will be another challenge to compete in 2024/25.
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More importantly, Merson is not the only figure crying out for experience to be added at Stamford Bridge. Earlier in the season, former winger Joe Cole and ex-England international Ian Wright both made the same point about Maresca’s team.
The lack of experience in the Chelsea ranks is underlined by the fact Tosin Adarabioyo is one of the most experienced players in the squad at just 27 years old.
However, despite his relative lack of experience, Adarabioyo has put in some mature displays whenever called upon this season, as part of a rotating Chelsea backline.
But even he could benefit from the signing of a few more experienced heads in the Chelsea dressing room as Maresca plots another busy season.
Chelsea will now wrap up their regular season with a Conference League final against Real Betis on May 28 before heading to the FIFA Club World Cup.
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