A bizarre campaign from Chelsea has passed, with the Blues going from Premier League title contenders to scraping into the top four. It didn't stop there with manager Maurizio Sarri leading the club to two finals, recovering from defeat in the Carabao Cup final to Manchester City on penalties, to winning the Europa League over London rivals Arsenal.
If that wasn’t enough for Chelsea fans to digest, they now have to deal with a departing manager and a transfer embargo, plunging the club into uncertainty.
No manager, no structure and no star player with Eden Hazard heading to Real Madrid for £88.5 million, the outlook is bleak ahead of the new season.
That said, it is a fresh start for the club. They have been reluctant to turn to youth and have an army of players out on loan who may now get their chance. They have been able to add to their squad despite their ban however, with Christian Pulisic's £58 million deal agreed in January and Mateo Kovacic agreeing terms following his loan last season.
It looks as if club legend Frank Lampard will take the reins as head coach, following a superb managerial debut season at Derby, ending in a Championship Play-Off final defeat to Aston Villa.
Chelsea will as ever be a popular choice on FIFA 20, but what will their side look like after all these changes? RealSport predicts the player ratings for the Chelsea side on the new game.
Kepa Arrizabalaga (OVR 84 – 84)
Position: GK
Age: 24
Country: Spain
A Carabao Cup final rant aside, it was a fantastic debut season for record signing Kepa Arrizabalaga at Stamford Bridge. Only Brazilian pairing Alisson (Liverpool) and Ederson (Man City) kept more clean sheets than the 24-year-old Spaniard last season, and he came to the rescue in a number of games, most notably the Europa League penalty shootout against Eintracht Frankfurt. After receiving an Ultimate Team increase from 83 to 84 in February, don’t expect Kepa to improve further on FIFA 20.
Cesar Azpilicueta (OVR 86 – 86)
Position: RB
Age: 30
Country: Spain
Now Chelsea’s captain, the whole squad will be looking to the versatile Cesar Azpilicueta in a tricky season to come. The right back has developed as a leader for the club over the past two seasons and would be one of only four players (along with David Luiz, Willian & Marco van Ginkel) who would have played with expectant Frank Lampard for the club. It was another fine campaign for the Spanish Azpilicueta last term, and that should see him keep hold of his 86 overall, although his position will move from centre to right back.
Antonio Rudiger (OVR 81 – 82)
Position: CB
Age: 26
Country: Germany
Antonio Rudiger grew as the season went on for Chelsea, and the task now for the German is to become one of the best centre backs in the Premier League. He will also need to become the leader of the defensive line with David Luiz now 32, so don’t be surprised if he is partnering Andreas Christensen or Kurt Zouma by the end of the campaign. He is recovering from a knee injury, but has done enough to take his 81 overall up to 82.
Kurt Zouma (OVR 78 - 80)
Position: CB
Age: 24
Country: France
After a loan spell at Everton and the departure of main man David Luiz, Zouma is set to fill the space in the back four alongside Rudiger. He conjured up a fairly decent partnership with Yerry Mina and will look to do the same at the club he signed for a few years back.
Emerson (OVR 76 – 79)
Position: LB, LWB
Age: 25
Country: Italy
One of the unsung heroes for Chelsea last season, Emerson shook off his injury troubles and ended the campaign as first choice left back. The Italian showed more poise in defence than Marcos Alonso, and his form was rewarded with a starting spot in the Europa League final. Now 25, he is entering the main phase of his career, and should see his 76 overall climb to 79. If he maintains his growth next term, he could enter the 80s in 2020.
N’Golo Kante (OVR 89 – 89)
Position: CM, CDM
Age: 28
Country: France
Much criticism was handed to Maurizio Sarri more playing N’Golo Kante in a more advanced, shuttling midfield role last season, but the Frenchman was one of Chelsea’s more damaging players as a result. The World Cup winner scored four Premier League goals and set up a further four, a return bettered by no other midfielder at the club. It remains to be seen what position Kante will play next term, but his 89 overall should remain.
Jorginho (OVR 84 – 82)
Position: CM
Age: 27
Country: Italy
There is no doubting Jorginho’s ability on the ball, but his style of play just doesn’t seem to fit the Premier League. Whoever takes over at Stamford Bridge, you struggle to see the Italian being central to their plans after failing to notch a single assist in all competitions last season. He did end the season well however, which may be enough to give him a chance under the new manager, but his FIFA rating should drop from 84 to 82.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek (OVR 77 – 80)
Position: CM
Age: 23
Country: England
Ruben Loftus-Cheek scored the most goals from midfield for Chelsea last season (10), despite starting just 17 matches. If he can shake of his injury troubles, he can finally secure a regular starting spot, and become a key player for both club and country. Aged 23, the clock is starting to tick, as he looks to play catch up on fellow England internationals Dele Alli and Harry Winks who are the same age and have played more top-flight matches. A superb return last season should see his 77 overall rise to 80.
Willian (OVR 84 – 83)
Position: RW, LW
Age: 30
Country: Brazil
The departure of Eden Hazard eases the competition on Willian, but with Christian Pulisic arriving he cannot afford to get complacent. The Brazilian has been a great servant to the club, but his performances have become inconsistent of late and is regarded as a bit-part player by the fans. Eight goals last season isn’t good enough for a player of his talent, and at aged 30 it looks as if his legs are starting to go. A drop from 84 to 83 is the least we can expect for Willian on FIFA 20.
Olivier Giroud (OVR 82 – 82)
Position: ST
Age: 32
Country: France
Olivier Giroud didn’t get enough opportunities last season, almost limited to starts in the Europa League. 11 goals in 14 games in the competition shows how much of a handful he is, and with Gonzalo Higuain returning to Juventus, Giroud will be the premier striker next season. The 32-year-old has been rewarded with a new contract, with his 82 overall set to remain on FIFA 20.
Pedro (OVR 82 – 83)
Position: RW, LW
Age: 32
Country: Spain
A fan favourite at Stamford Bridge, the only difficulty for the dogged Pedro will be his age. The Spaniard will turn 32 before the season starts, but his ability in and around the box should keep him in the starting lineup. Former Barcelona man Pedro matched his best return in a Chelsea shirt last term, netting 13 times, and was the joint-second top scorer at the club alongside Olivier Giroud behind Eden Hazard. That could be enough to see his 82 overall improve and match Willian at 83.
Have a look at our Manchester City FIFA 20 ratings prediction here.
On the bench
Willy Caballero (OVR 76 – 76) is the only other first-team goalkeeper behind Kepa Arrizabalaga, and has proved to be a reliable backup when called upon.
Andreas Christensen (OVR 82 – 82) will hope to get his opportunity next season and is likely to come in as a long-term replacement for David Luiz. Marcos Alonso (OVR 82 – 81) had a difficult campaign as his defensive abilities were exposed after moving deeper from wing-back to left back.
Mateo Kovacic (OVR 83 - 82) has signed permanently for £40 million following his loan spell from Real Madrid, but the Croatian will need to improve on his return of just two assists and no goals in his 51 appearances for the Blues. Ross Barkley (OVR 79 – 80) should join him on the bench, if not in the starting 11, but his lack of consistency shouldn’t see his overall move beyond 80.
Christian Pulisic (OVR 79 – 80) scored seven goals for Borussia Dortmund last season, his best return in his career, and that is despite being on the bench behind Jadon Sancho and Raphael Guerreiro for much of the campaign. His £58 million price tag should see the 20-year-old’s 79 overall improve.
It is unclear whether Michy Batshuayi (OVR 81 – 81) will be at Chelsea last season, but he could be set for a recall with the shortage of forward available to the new manager. After having his loan at Valencia terminated, he showed better form at Crystal Palace, scoring six times in the second half of the season.
Have a look at our Liverpool FIFA 20 ratings prediction here.
Despite a transfer embargo, Chelsea will still have plenty of options in the reserves given the number of players they sent away on loan this season.
Kurt Zouma (OVR 78 – 80) returned to form at Everton, and all signs point to the French international being back in Chelsea’s plans next season. Ethan Ampadu (OVR 63 – 65) was limited to just five games last season, but is now a regular in the Wales national setup. If Zouma does return, we could see Ampadu loaned out for more first team minutes.
Fikayo Tomori (OVR 66 – 73) said before the end of the campaign that he isn’t “even thinking about Chelsea” but if his Derby manager Frank Lampard head to Chelsea, he could get an opportunity. Davide Zappacosta (OVR 79 – 79) is a reliable backup to Cesar Azpilicueta, but his lack of game time coupled with the rise of youngster Reece James (OVR 63 – 73) on loan at Wigan, could see the Italian sold back to his homeland this summer.
Tiemoue Bakayoko (OVR 80 – 81) was a walking disaster the last time he wore a Chelsea shirt, but a much-improved season at AC Milan coupled with a defensive midfield shortage at Stamford Bridge is likely to see him recalled.
He should be sold this summer, along with Marco van Ginkel (OVR 79 – 78).
Another man who worked under Lampard last season, Mason Mount (OVR 74 – 75) was even called up to the England squad, but would be in direct competition with Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ross Barkley if he were to be in the Chelsea first team this season.
Callum Hudson-Odoi's (OVR 68 – 73) injury may have saved him from moving to Bayern Munich, with the German champions bidding £35 million for the winger back in January. Given his moment of brilliance last season, he could end the upcoming campaign as a regular starter.
Kenedy (OVR 76 – 77) is likely to leave the club over the summer, but striker Tammy Abraham (OVR 74 – 76) is set to be involved after netting 26 goals at Aston Villa last season.
Have a look at our Real Madrid FIFA 20 ratings prediction here.
Chelsea FIFA 20 predicted lineup
Have a look at our Barcelona FIFA 20 ratings prediction here.
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