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Chelsea host the newly crowned champions at Stamford Bridge on Sunday and will give the visitors a guard of honour ahead what is another vital game in their push for a top-five finish this season.
It has been a tumultuous campaign for the Blues, but securing a Champions League return would be a fine achievement for a squad that is, by design, the youngest in the Premier League.
“For part of the season we were very good, and then we lost some games.
“And also in terms of experienced players that know how to win games and these kinds of things, I think they have something more compared to us.”
Having finished fourth in Klopp’s first full season in charge, Liverpool paid a world-record transfer fee for a defender to sign Van Dijk midway through the following campaign, then did likewise for a goalkeeper to prize Alisson from Roma.
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Those two players would prove transformative as the Reds went on to win the Champions League and Premier League over the next two seasons, and have again been pillars of their defence this term.
Asked specifically whether Chelsea would need to shop for established senior players like Van Dijk and Alisson this summer, Maresca said: “For sure, if you want to close the gap with these kind of clubs then, for sure, you have to do things.”
However, the Italian is also certain that his young players will improve for their exposure this term.
“Our team next season will be better also in terms of experience because this season has been one more year together,” he added.
“For sure, next sure he will be better and better.
Hopefully, the ones that we have, they can grow and help us in terms of experience.
“The Warsaw game we won 3-0 there [in the first leg] and at home we struggled, and that has been a good experience.
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