As one of the most opulent clubs in the Premier League, Chelsea have long been associated with glamour and prestige. The Blues are one of the titans of the Premier League era, especially in the Roman Abramovich era for the club. However, it would be fair to say that Chelsea have not done as much to keep Stamford Bridge in the top condition one would have expected. Though still a beautiful stadium, the hands of time mean that the stadium is no longer in the elite category for many reasons.
With much talk over the years of a stadium move, with the long-rumoured Battersby stadium move failing to come to fruition, the Bridge has been left to decay somewhat. And while its facilities are still tremendous for the match-going fan, and the stadium itself is still clean and fresh, the facilities for the playing staff could do with an upgrade. Indeed, this has become a priority after recent complaints from Brighton and Hove Albion as well as Liverpool.
Both teams had complained about the cramped away dressing room, and it now looks to have seen an official demand for change come down from the league itself. The away dressing room has been put as a priority for expansion, with both teams mentioned above making clear they were unhappy with the standard and condition of the away dressing room.
This has seen the Bridge go through a minor revamp to make sure the dressing room can properly meet the rules and regulations put forth by the Premier League. In these tough times, especially with COVID still on the rampage, such demands are not something that can – or should – be ignored or postponed.
It sounds like the Blues have moved quickly, though, to solve the issue and get the dressing room issue sorted out.
Chelsea eyeing free transfer for German defender
While the home dressing room is a larger and more grandiose dressing room than the away one, the home dressing room might have different personnel as of next season. It is believed that Chelsea will go through a minor tear-up of the current playing squad in the summer, and central defence is seen as a priority. And while some links still exist to marquee arrivals like Jules Kounde, one deal believed to be taking place is going to cost the club nothing in terms of fees.
With it very likely that Antonio Rüdiger moves in this summer for nothing, the arrival of a similar standard of defender for nothing will be tough to find. However, the ever-resourceful Chelsea front office appear to have found the ideal replacement: Niklas Sule. The current FC Bayern defender might swap dressing rooms with Rüdiger, as the Chelsea player is expected to move either to Bavaria or Madrid in the summer.
Sule is expected to leave FC Bayern, and is keen to find out what life in the Premier League involves. As such, both players could swap positions – who knows, maybe Rüdiger will find out for himself what the away dressing room feels like compared to the home one?
