Thomas Tuchel's next target is the Premier League title: Here's how he can do it with Chelsea

A top striker in Harry Kane or Romelu Lukaku and midfielder Declan Rice would help mount narrow the 19-point gap on Manchester City

CHELSEA 2020/21 SEASON RATINGS - MANAGERS: Frank Lampard – 6. Started the season encouragingly and led an impressive recruitment drive in the summer, but struggled to find answers to too many problems. There were clear tactical and defensive deficiencies in his teams and he didn't look like he would be able to arrest the slide. His sacking led to uproar but really it looks a blessing in disguise.

Thomas Tuchel - 9. Brought in mid-season with Chelsea ninth in the Premier League, the German has made a superb impact. He made the Blues a more balanced and cohesive unit and made great use of his full squad during a hectic season. Needs to get his team scoring more goals but fourth in the league and an FA Cup final are impressive returns on the domestic front. Then he went and won the Champions League. Enough said.

GOALKEEPERS: Edouard Mendy – 8. A fine debut season for the Senegalese stopper who has proved a significant, and far cheaper, upgrade on Kepa Arrizabalaga. Started well with five successive Premier League clean sheets and after a wobble during the final Lampard weeks, bounced back with a string of superb displays under Tuchel. The Blues now have a top-class keeper they can trust.

Kepa Arrizabalaga – 6. A shaky start saw Chelsea quickly decide to sign Mendy from Rennes, and the Spaniard is now the world’s most expensive understudy. He has performed well in the few appearances he’s been given by Tuchel, but still, hardly what Chelsea had hoped for when paying £71m for his services.

Willy Caballero – 5. Very much third choice and played just twice, keeping a clean sheet in the League Cup and conceding three goals against West Brom in the Premier League. A decent servant for Chelsea but will surely leave when his contract expires.

DEFENDERS: Ben Chilwell – 8. Signed at great cost from Leicester City and made an immediate impact by scoring on debut. Became a consistent performer under Lampard even as the wheels started to come off. Rotated more by Tuchel as the German attempted to keep his wing-backs fresh but he is a superior option to Alonso. Immense in Champions League final.

Reece James – 8.5. Installed as first choice under Lampard but found himself in rotation since Tuchel arrived, James has enjoyed another good season. The right-back provided a dangerous attacking threat with his pace and pinpoint crossing, while his defending ability has continued to improve. A key part of Chelsea’s present and future. Dominated Raheem Sterling in the Champions League final. Getty Images

Andreas Christensen – 7.5. The opposite situation to Zouma, where the Dane found game time limited under Lampard but became a more important player for Tuchel. Slotted comfortably into a back-three, although his challenge for next season is to become a regular. After his commanding display in Porto, has done his chances no harm. AP Photo

Kurt Zouma – 7. Similar to James, the Frenchman was first choice for Lampard but found himself down the pecking order under Tuchel. Regardless of his game time, Zouma has been a reliable presence at the heart of the Chelsea defence and has chipped in with a handful of goals, and of course, a few eye-catching last-ditch tackles.

Antonio Rudiger – 8.5. One of the great success stories of Tuchel’s reign so far. Rudiger has always been a talented defender, although he was prone to too many errors. Since Tuchel’s arrival, though, the German has been rock solid and struck a superb partnership with Silva. His fine form makes his exclusion by Lampard look increasingly strange.

Cesar Azpilicueta – 8.5. Frozen out by Lampard but reinstated as a key player by Tuchel, the Chelsea captain was central to the club’s revival. Playing on the right side of a three-man defence or at wing-back, Azpilicueta’s versatility and reliability have been valuable to turning the club’s season around. Superb in Porto.

Emerson – 5. Now third choice left-back, surely the Italian’s time at the club is set to come to an end. Scored an important goal against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last 16 but it’s been a wasted season in which Emerson made just two Premier League appearances.

Marcos Alonso – 6.5. Benefitted by Tuchel’s decision to employ wing-backs, Alonso was brought back into the fold. The Spaniard remains a defensive liability but his ability going forward ensured he contributed with some vital goals, none more so than his injury-time winner against Manchester City. Interesting to see if he is still at the club come next season.

Thiago Silva – 8.5. The Brazilian’s debut couldn’t have gone much worse after his careless mistake against West Brom contributed to a 3-3 draw. Since then, though, Silva has been immense for the Blues. His composure, positioning, leadership, and experience have brought huge improvements to the defence. Surely a contract extension is on the way.

MIDFIELDERS: Kai Havertz – 7. Struggled to find a consistent place or position in Lampard’s team before Covid-19 caused a major fitness setback. Under Tuchel, Havertz produced a few more impressive performances, including superb displays against Crystal Palace and Real Madrid. None of it really matters, though, after being the matchwinner in Porto.

Mason Mount – 9. Chelsea’s player of the season won the vote by a majority, which was no surprise. Mount was very good in his first season and the midfielder has elevated his game to another level this campaign. Whether in midfield, as a No 10 or part of an attacking front three, Mount was often the best player on the pitch under both managers.

N’Golo Kante – 9. Tuchel’s love for Kante is apparent and it’s clear to see why. the French midfielder has been exceptional in what the German calls the ‘double six’ role, playing a pivotal role in Chelsea’s successful Champions League campaign and climb up the Premier League table. A formidable presence in midfield, Kante remains central to Chelsea’s plans.

Jorginho – 7. Another steady season for the Italian midfielder whose passing range and positional awareness allowed Chelsea to control possession in most games. Yet, in matches when the Blues cede more of the ball, Jorginho was less influential. His penalty-taking prowess started to wane, too, as keepers started to read his hop-skip-jump technique. Did score a vital one against Leicester City, though.

Mateo Kovacic – 8. The Croatian was the driving force in the Chelsea midfield, particularly under Lampard, and he maintained his high level throughout much of the season. Provides more energy than Jorginho and rarely got outplayed in the middle of the park. Could add more goals to his game.

Billy Gilmour – 6. Limited game time for the talented Scot, due to a combination of injury and midfield competition. Managed to get some minutes towards the end of the season but looked off the pace. He has a big future but a loan spell next season could be the most beneficial option.

FORWARDS: Timo Werner – 7. Much has been made of his profligacy but 12 goals and 10 assists in all competitions is a decent return for a debut season. Of course, the German forward’s contributions have fallen short of expectations and he has indeed been wasteful, but Chelsea were a more dangerous side with him on the pitch. His future role – as a striker or as a wide man – will likely depend on whether Chelsea sign a striker.

Christian Pulisic – 6. Unplayable against Real Madrid in both legs but those were rare moments in a season that never really got off the ground. Injuries played their part once again and was subject to rotation. The American obviously has bags of talent, so will hope to reset next season.

Tammy Abraham – 7. Chelsea’s top scorer in all competitions with 12 but barely featured under Tuchel. The German clearly doesn’t rate Abraham and it’s clear the England international is not an elite-level striker. Curious to see if his future lies away from Chelsea.

Hakim Ziyech – 6.5. Looked dynamite after making his long-awaited debut having missed the start of the season with injury, and showed his class at moments throughout the campaign, but too many ineffective games for a player of his undoubted class. Chelsea fans will hope for big improvements next season.

Callum Hudson-Odoi – 6.5. At times unplayable, at others anonymous, Hudson-Odoi is still bursting with potential but it needs to start getting channelled soon. Will want to be pressing for a more important role next season.

Olivier Giroud – 7. The Frenchman’s four-goal heroics against Sevilla was the best individual performance of the season but his role and impact has diminished. There was talk of a new contract but Giroud now looks set for the exit. He has been a great servant to Chelsea.

“I am not interested in being the best team in the world,” said a German manager who made his name at Mainz and Borussia Dortmund.

“I am interested in being the coach who can beat the best team in the world.” It was not actually Thomas Tuchel speaking but Jurgen Klopp, a man whose CV features the same clubs and, now, the same distinction: Champions League winner.

Tuchel had branded Manchester City the world’s best before the Champions League final. “They are the benchmark but you can close the gap,” he said.

Chelsea did it three times: in the FA Cup, the Premier League and then in Europe. They have repeatedly proved they can overcome City over 90 minutes. The next challenge is to do so over 3,420 – a full Premier League season.

Chelsea finished 19 points behind City, the biggest deficit between any European champions and the winners of their domestic league since Chelsea themselves were 25 points adrift of City in 2011-12.

A mid-season managerial appointment should not shoulder all the blame for the gulf: Chelsea finished second in the ‘Tuchel table,’ for most points in the German’s reign, even if it was 10 fewer than Pep Guardiola collected in the same time.

Tuchel has given Chelsea a formula for beating the best: not merely City but Atletico Madrid (twice), Real Madrid, Porto, Liverpool, Leicester, Tottenham and West Ham. Winning the league, however, also entails beating the rest.

One of the most glaring statistics of Tuchel’s time is that City scored 52 league goals and Chelsea 25, the 10th most and fewer than Newcastle. They made a little go a long way but four 0-0 draws were an indication that defensive excellence alone is not enough; recent champions have all but eliminated the draw. Infamously, Jorginho was Chelsea’s top Premier League scorer with seven, all penalties.

It all shows where there is most scope for improvement. It is the question if it is organic or imported, if Tuchel, whose contract is being extended, conjures more from his current players, buys or both.

Logically, Kai Havertz and Timo Werner should be far more potent in their second seasons; the latter was outscored only by Robert Lewandowski in the 2019-20 Bundesliga but now has two goals in his last 27 Premier League games.

Each looks pivotal but the search for someone more clinical can be aided by Roman Abramovich’s chequebook. The prime target is likely to be a finisher.

Nine years ago, Chelsea’s status as new Champions League winners persuaded Eden Hazard to join and, while there are suggestions he will stay at Borussia Dortmund, it will be intriguing if Erling Braut Haaland suddenly deems Stamford Bridge more attractive.

It is hard to imagine Tottenham selling Harry Kane to London rivals. That may leave Romelu Lukaku, who has averaged 25 goals a season in the last seven campaigns, as the most attainable striker, especially given Inter Milan’s need to cut costs.

It poses a question of how and where Tuchel accommodates everyone. It has been difficult getting five – Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech, Havertz and Werner – into three forward positions, even without a specialist scorer.

There is also the issue if Tuchel’s impenetrable defensive structure leaves them with too few attackers and if Mount can adapt to be one of his “double six” of defensive midfielders, or if he can change shape against lesser opponents to incorporate extra firepower.

Perhaps, instead, the added incision could come from wing-back, which may explain a reported interest in Adama Traore to challenge Reece James, though the Wolves maverick can be both unstoppable and unproductive.

There is scope for other expensive upgrades. It will be instructive if Tuchel, like Frank Lampard before him, deems Declan Rice a dream arrival in midfield. In defence, Thiago Silva is 36 and the revitalised Antonio Rudiger’s contract is up in 2022, with no extension agreed.

Marc Guehi has showed huge promise while on loan at Swansea but if Chelsea’s sights are set on the title, perhaps the era of the rookies is over.

Abramovich took advantage of others’ inability to spend last summer and reaped a reward when Havertz got the goal that won the Champions League. A second summer of spending has the potential to make them champions of England as well.