Adrian Clarke analyses the key summer signings and the impact they could make at their new clubs in the Premier League this season.
Player analysis - Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Chelsea)
For large parts of last season, it felt as if Leicester City’s Dewsbury-Hall was far too good to be playing Championship football. The talismanic 25-year-old ended the Foxes’ title-winning campaign with an impressive 12 goals and 14 assists, starring in a new, more attack-minded midfield role. Unlocking his potential as a dangerous presence inside the final third, Enzo Maresca brought the best out of a player whose previous highest tally had been four goals scored on loan for Blackpool in 2019/20.
At King Power Stadium, Dewsbury-Hall had been seen as a more defensive player prior to the Italian’s arrival last summer, scoring five goals in his previous 80 senior appearances for the club. Maresca and his new signing will be banking on their excellent working relationship bearing more fruit for Chelsea in 2024/25.
Position: A box-to-box driving force
The Foxes' Academy graduate can play anywhere across the midfield, but is at his best as a No 8 that powers forward from either the left or right of a holding player. In a 4-2-3-1 formation, Dewsbury-Hall is often used as a double-pivot, but from there he pushes forward when a full-back inverts into midfield. In those scenarios, he becomes a twin No 10 in a box of four. Alternatively, he can also play as an outright No 10, so he provides Maresca with plenty of welcome tactical options. With Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Conor Gallagher all more suited to a defensive role in Chelsea’s midfield, it is likely Dewsbury-Hall will be viewed as an attack-minded figure.
Style: A powerful runner
Maresca will want Chelsea to be a possession-based side, but it is important they also offer a regular threat on the counter. In this respect, Dewsbury-Hall will help as he is blessed with a lovely change of pace that allows him to open up the pitch with purposeful runs down the middle. He showed what he is capable of by scoring a brilliant solo goal against Birmingham City last season, running through the centre from his own half before rounding the goalkeeper. Dribbling at speed, he created 58 chances from ball carries in last season’s Championship, ranking him ninth in the division. Overall, he produced an average of 1.93 key passes per 90 minutes in open play.
Eye-catching trait: A brilliant left foot
Nine of Dewsbury-Hall’s 12 league goals last season came from his tremendous left foot. Aside from Cole Palmer, Chelsea did not have a regular left-footed contributor for goals and assists, so the midfielder’s arrival will balance out the team.
How does he fit in?
Moving to a big Premier League club with high expectations will take Dewsbury-Hall out of his comfort zone, but having been recruited by Maresca, he should be brimming with confidence. Crucially, he also knows "Maresca ball" inside out. Fully accustomed to the Italian’s tactical demands, he must have been signed with a specific role in mind. That said, his prospects of starting on a regular basis may depend on how Maresca utilises star man Palmer. If he uses the England international on the right, it will free up Dewsbury-Hall to play as an attacking midfielder, but should Palmer start more centrally, it will make it tougher to gain regular starts. With doubts persisting over Gallagher’s future at the club, this is how Dewsbury-Hall may fit into a Chelsea starting XI.
Entering his peak
With 59 Premier League appearances to his name, Dewsbury-Hall is no rookie, but for the first time in his career, he will genuinely feel he can make a difference at the highest level. The midfielder's progress in 2023/24 was outstanding, and Maresca is clearly a coach that understands and admires his core strengths. Competing for a regular place with seasoned internationals will be a new experience but Dewsbury-Hall should be coming into his physical, mental and technical peak. Also in this series