CHELSEA won’t succumb to panic buys in January, despite pressure building on Enzo Maresca and the club’s ownership.
After spending £266.5million last summer on a myriad of new recruits, including Joao Pedro, Estevao, Jorrel Hato, Jamie Gittens, and more, they will not be rushed into making any panic moves in January.
There was an appreciation from the Blues for Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo, available for £65m in January, but he looks set to join Manchester City after Chelsea pulled their interest in him.
However, it does show that Behdad Eghbali and the rest of the Stamford Bridge hierarchy are on the lookout for attacking recruits, even if not in January.
More so than incomings, January is expected to be busier for the Blues in terms of outgoings – with SunSport Enzo Maresca himself is ready to be one of those…
Raheem Sterling, Axel Disasi and Tyrique George could be moved on, while young striker Shim Mheuka could be moved out on loan as reported by SunSport this morning.
WHAT DO THEY ‘NEED’?
After investing so heavily in young talent in recent seasons, it seems ridiculous to suggest Chelsea need more quality.
But if they are to compete for Premier League and Champions League titles, that might be true.
The Blues have options at centre-half, but the quality of those options could be improved upon with Wesley Fofana having his minutes managed and the likes of Tosin Adarabioyo appearing to fall out of favour with Maresca.
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A dynamic midfielder would also be a good addition.
Summer recruit Dario Essugo has been injured for almost the entirety of the season, and Romeo Lavia is still suffering from consistent setbacks in terms of his fitness.
That has led to Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo both playing through injury issues at times this season.
Forward options are clearly also being considered after the Blues registered their interest in Antoine Semenyo, with Jamie Gittens and Liam Delap struggling somewhat in the Premier League for consistency.
WHO COULD THEY SIGN?
An appreciation for Antoine Semenyo took some by surprise, given he is 25, which is not usually the profile of player the Blues have moved for in recent seasons.
But it does signal that perhaps the higher-ups are willing to break their age target for the right player at the right price.
Centre-back options are limited given Levi Colwill will return next season, and that they have two adequately performing young stars out on loan – Mamadou Sarr and Aaron Anselmino – who could be welcomed back into the fold next season.
A model signing could be Marc Guehi, though, who looks set to leave Crystal Palace.
As it stands, Liverpool, Manchester City and Bayern Munich all look more likely destinations for the ex-Chelsea defender, who will become a free agent once the season is over.
In midfield, the outstanding option would seem to be ‘freeing’ Kobbie Mainoo from Manchester United.
He fits the Chelsea recruitment mould with his age and profile, and already has a good relationship with star man Cole Palmer and Garnacho.
Stylistically, he would be great cover for the likes of Enzo Fernandez or Moises Caicedo, similarly to Lavia, but with better availability.
Of course, with recent controversies, he would also be available on a cut-price deal considering the calibre of player on offer.
SEMENYO ALTERNATIVES
After not pursuing a deal to sign Semenyo, who was involved in both of Bournemouth’s goals against Maresca’s side on Tuesday night, it’s crucial to look at why Chelsea would’ve been interested in him when considering alternatives.
A key quality of Semenyo’s would’ve been that he offered proven ability to score goals in the Premier League.
Jamie Gittens and Alejandro Garnacho have both got bags of potential, but haven’t shown consistent scoring form in the league.
The arrival of Geovany Quenda from Sporting next summer may be a more long-term answer to this conundrum, but he is again unproven in the Prem.
One man who has also proved his worth in recent seasons is Aston Villa‘s Morgan Rogers, whom the Blues retain a long-term interest in.
He, like Semenyo can operate through the middle or on the left side, but the fee for a player of his quality would likely be astronomical, and he doesn’t necessarily offer the same ‘market opportunity’ as what Semenyo did.
