Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel admits multiple centre-half signings will be a summer priority.

Toni Rudiger and Andreas Christensen are leaving as free agents, while Cesar Azpilicueta is also set to be granted a free transfer.

At 37 years old, Thiago Silva also can't be relied upon week in, week out for much longer.

"We had a core in our back three, and we do have an issue with Thiago," said Tuchel. "He is not Benjamin Button. It seems like he is, but he's not. He is getting older, and it would have maybe been enough to find a natural replacement for this kind of position and keep everybody else.

"Suddenly, we lose two, three, three-and-a-half players at the back and this is actually concerning. It is a huge, huge challenge, given the fact that you cannot act.

"Everybody else is driving from the start, and you are still not finding the right gear to get your kickstart. This is where we are. It is a long race, but we don't give up. It makes it a bit more complicated, but this is what it is. We try our very best to make up for the disadvantage, but there are some things to solve."