John Terry tells Chelsea the one thing they must do after Premier League title prediction

Former Chelsea captain John Terry believes big marquee signings are standing between the Blues and a title tilt. Enzo Maresca has built a squad packed with talent, but it remains one of the youngest around.

Last season, Chelsea’s squad had an average age of 23.6 - the youngest in the Premier League, bar none. It’s been even younger across the first three games of the new season, with 27-year-old Christopher Nkunku and 25-year-old Jadon Sancho among those no longer involved after playing in more than half of their games last term.

Teenagers Jorrel Hato and Estevao have joined over the summer, with both seen as players for the present and future. Chelsea’s most recent title win came with an average age of 27, though, and Terry - who left Stamford Bridge at the end of that 2016-17 campaign - thinks big-name additions could make the difference.

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“I’d love to see us in the mix for big signings if we want to be back to our very best and at the top winning Premier Leagues year after year,” Terry told talkSPORT. “I think the only thing we’re missing at the moment is those marquee signings.”

Chelsea are unbeaten through their first three matches of the season as they look to build on winning the Club World Cup in July. Terry joked about being happy with the Blues’ new title as the world’s best, but tried to blend ambition with realism going into a testing season.

“I don’t want too much pressure on the boys because we are a young squad,” he said. “With this year and with the experience of pushing the other teams close I think we have a chance to be up there and we should be because we’re Chelsea.

“I think any top side or any young and experienced player going into the season saying, 'We can’t win it,' shouldn’t be playing at the top level. So I think every Chelsea player should believe we can go and win it.”

Chelsea are up against Brentford this weekend and could move top ot the table if results go their way. Alejandro Garnacho could make his debut in the derby, but there are question marks over Estevao, Joao Pedro, Andrey Santos, and Moises Caicedo after their exploits in South America during the international break.

“The three Brazilian players arrived yesterday but didn’t train; they did a recovery session,” Maresca told reporters at a press conference on Friday. Moises Caicedo arrived last night [after playing for Ecuador].

“I didn’t see him, but I will see him today. So, for all of them, it’s a question mark for tomorrow, but when they play in Bolivia, it’s so difficult to be back [at full fitness] very soon.’