Chelsea manager Frank Lampard recently confirmed that he is looking to add some fresh faces to the ranks at Stamford Bridge during the summer transfer window.
The Blues are thought to be leading the race to sign out-of-favour Barcelona attacker Philippe Coutinho on loan, with the Brazilian having struggled at Camp Nou since his big-money move from Liverpool.
A host of Premier League sides such as Arsenal, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur have all been credited with an interest in Coutinho, but the chances of any club signing the former Liverpool man permanently seems unlikely in the current economic climate.
Given Chelsea's reported willingness to take Coutinho on loan amid the financial implications of the coronavirus pandemic, the Stamford Bridge faithful could very well be welcoming the 27-year-old back to the Premier League ahead of the 2020-21 campaign.
With that in mind, Sports Mole takes a look at how Chelsea could line up should they manage to secure a deal for Coutinho.
Despite being renowned for his exploits out wide as well as in the attacking midfield role, Coutinho would be in line to start as a number 10 in order to accomodate Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic either side of him.
This means that Mason Mount would be forced to settle for a place on the bench should Lampard opt for a 4-2-3-1 formation, with fellow Englishman Callum Hudson-Odoi joining him amongst the substitutes.
However, with Willian and Pedro both set to depart Stamford Bridge in the near future, Lampard could very well utilise Coutinho on the flank in case of injuries to Chelsea's out-and-out wingers.
Much has been made of Timo Werner's future as of late, and with the Blues supposedly eyeing up the German as a potential signing this summer, Werner would be a shoo-in to start over Tammy Abraham despite the 22-year-old's impressive return this season.
The experience of N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic may be preferred to teenage starlet Billy Gilmour in midfield, with Jorginho's future said to be up in the air ahead of the summer window.
With regards to the defence, the up-and-coming Reece James could get the nod over Cesar Azpilicueta at right-back, but Lampard also faces a dilemma on the other side of his back four.
Leicester City's Ben Chilwell continues to be linked with a move to the blue side of London, but the 23-year-old's hefty price tag could reportedly see Chelsea swoop for Porto's Alex Telles instead.
Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga is also said to be staying put in the English capital despite an underwhelming campaign, and the Spaniard is almost certain to regain his spot in the starting lineup.
Ben Knapton
