Chelsea are enjoying a solid first season under Enzo Maresco. Despite a recent run of poor results, the Blues are still fourth in the Premier League and there is a big fight for the qualifications for the next season Champions League.
They also fly in Conference league. Maresca’s side finished top of the new-look group stage winning all six of their games and scoring a record 26 goals in the process. However, there is room for improvement.
The Blues have struggled at the back all season, keeping just four clean sheets in the top flight, and their problems have been compounded in recent weeks by injuries to Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile. Fofana is expected to miss the rest of the season, while Badiashile will be sidelined until at least February.
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The Blues also had a few problems down the stretch. Despite his improvement, Nicolas Jackson is still missing too many chances, while Noni Madueke has disappointed on the right wing. Meanwhile, Mykhailo Mudryk is currently suspended for failing a drug test.
To remedy these ailments, Chelsea should use the January transfer market to look for some reinforcements. Here are seven players we think should look to sign:
1
Marc Guehi
The Crystal Palace
Marc Guehi, who came through Chelsea’s academy before being sold to Crystal Palace for £18m in 2021, has been linked with the sensational return to Stamford Bridge this month.
Speaking to CaughtOffside earlier this month, the journalist Fabrizio Romano said yes to Guehi is a player that Chelsea “loves” and that his move “has already been discussed and considered internally”.
Chelsea should do everything they can to get Guehi. Not only has he established himself as one of the Premier League’s best centre-backs since his move to Palace, but he is also familiar with Chelsea, meaning he would need less time to adapt should he return to west London.
Chelsea legend Frank Lampard, who gave Guehi his Chelsea debut while in charge of the Blues in 2019, is a big fan of the Palace star.
After Guehi’s impressive performances in England’s first two Euro 2024 group games, Lampard he told BBC Radio 5 Live: “I gave him his Chelsea debut and he’s a really decent, humble guy. You could see he had all the attributes to take him a long way, especially the personality. He wanted to do well.
“I loved the idea of working with him at that time because when a young kid comes in and shows that humility and wants to be good, that’s an amazing thing to work with as a coach.”
2
Jonathan Tah
Bayer Leverkusen
One potential stumbling block in Guehi’s potential move to Chelsea could be his price tag, which is believed to be £65 million.
If that fee is deemed too expensive for the Bridge powers, the Blues could instead turn their attention to Bayer Leverkusen and German centre-back Jonathan Tah.
The 28-year-old helped guide Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga title last season but has confirmed he will leave the BayArena either before or when his contract expires this summer. Leverkusen would no doubt prefer to avoid losing him for nothing, so January could be a good time for Chelsea to pounce and get him on the cheap.
Tah has recently been described as “perhaps the best defender in Germany” Liverpool manager Arne Slott.
3
Wilfried Singo
AS Monaco
AS Monaco defender Wilfried Singo has been one of Ligue 1’s most outstanding defenders over the past year, impressing with his speed, strength, aerial skills and interceptions – for which he is within the 99th percentile compared to players in his position in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, according to FBref.
It also ranks in the 94th percentile for progressive carry and 95th for successful retrieval.
“He’s a really good defender. He can play a lot of defensive positions,” Monaco manager Adi Hutter recently said of Singhwho this year played in the positions of right back, middle back and even right midfielder.
“He can bring a lot in terms of the ball. He’s a superb header, with his technique and determination with his header. He’s a warrior and a fighter,” Hutter said.
Chelsea currently need cover in a number of defensive positions, either at centre-back to replace Fofana, or at right-back to cover the ever-injured Reece James and Malo Gust. Singo’s versatility and skill set make him a good fit.
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4
Gregor Kobel
Borussia Dortmund
It’s no secret that Chelsea need a new goalkeeper. Although he occasionally pulls off a great save or two, current No. 1 Robert Sanchez is too error-prone and not good enough with the ball at his feet to play from the back like Maresca wants.
According to German newspaper BILD, Chelsea are eyeing Borussia Dortmund Gregor Kobel as a replacement for Sanchezand it’s easy to see why.
Kobel joined Dortmund from Bundesliga rivals Stuttgart in the summer of 2021 for a fee of around £12m.
Since then, he has made over 130 appearances for Die Schwarzgelben, keeping 46 clean sheets and establishing himself as one of the best marksmen in German football.
“Gregor has developed into a world-class goalkeeper in Dortmund who has attracted the interest of many top clubs in Europe,” Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl said from Kobel last year.
5
Dani Olmo
Barcelona
Christopher Nkunku’s future is currently up in the air. While Maresca insists he wants to keep the Frenchman, there is interest from a number of clubs, including Manchester Unitedand some reports suggest he is ready to move on due to a lack of Premier League minutes in West London.
If Nkunku does leave, Chelsea will have a vacancy in attacking midfield, which could be suitably filled by Dani Olmo.
The Spanish midfielder found himself in a difficult situation in Barcelona, which could not register him for the second part of the season due to financial difficulties.
Fortunately, according to Spanish football expert Guillem Balague, Olmo has a clause in the contract which will allow him to terminate his contract and become a free agent.
If he takes advantage of that, Chelsea should make their move. Former RB Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann described him as “an outstanding football player”The 26-year-old boasts exceptional ability on the ball, a powerful shot from long range and a great eye for passing passes.
6
Ademola Lookman
Atalanta
Ademolo Lookman’s move to Chelsea is not a transfer that is likely to happen, nor has it been rumoured, but it is a transfer that we would like to see.
The 2024 African Footballer of the Year has taken Serie A by storm since joining Atalanta in 2022. scored 44 goals and registered 24 assists in 100 games for Gian Piero Gasperini’s team.
Most notably, he scored a hat-trick in last season’s Europa League final as Atalanta won their first major European silverware.
He is quick, skilful, creative and, perhaps most importantly for Chelsea, has an excellent habit of crossing into the penalty area from the back post and scoring. Maresca has previously publicly demanded this from his wide forwards like Noni Madueke and Pedro Neto this season, but they have rarely followed through.
Besides, Lookman has something to prove. Everton, Fulham and Leicester City never gave him a chance to shine while on their books. A final stint at Chelsea would prove them all wrong that he didn’t, but in all honesty, he probably already did.
7
Miloš Kerkez
Bournemouth
Just as they need reinforcements at centre-back and right-back, Chelsea also need numbers at left-back. Marc Cucurella is doing a good job at the moment, but he can’t play every game, while Malo Gusto just can’t play on that flank, and Maresca has made it clear that he’s not ready to trust young Renato Veiga just yet.
Ben Chilwell, meanwhile, has been told he can leave Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea supposedly has Bradley Locko from Brest and Stuttgart’s Borna Sosa on the radar as options, but the dream acquisition, at least in our opinion, would be Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez.
One of the most outstanding defenders in the Premier League this season, the Hungarian is solid in defense and powerful in attack, either side of his game when he crosses best performance in a 2-1 win over Manchester City back in November.
Kerkez provided both assists for his side on the day and also cleared the ball three times, recovered the ball twice and intercepted the ball once.
After an equally strong performance against Manchester United last season, the Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola was showered with praise on the 21-year-old, saying: “Milos, I think, played a hell of a game.
“He was very good defensively. He was very good going forward. He played more forward, and I think these types of games where he finds more space, can run, carry the ball, find it two-on-one out there, I think that fits very well.”
