Mauricio Pochettino’s hopes of strengthening his squad in January are likely to hinge on Chelsea opening up a new signing to make room for signings.
Pochettino, who has only five wins from 16 Premier League matches, said Chelsea may have to return to the transfer market after losing 2-0 against Everton on Sunday. The club has spent around £1bn since being bought by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital in the summer of 2022 but remains in 12th place after a poor start.
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Chelsea signed 14 players last summer, offset by the departure of 15 first-team players either permanently or on loan. However, they continued to struggle to score goals and will look to bring in a top striker; Brentford’s Ivan Toney and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen are also high on their wish lists. Chelsea are also investigating Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyökeres.
It is crucial that Chelsea do not repeat the mistake of signing six players and selling one last January, leaving Graham Potter with a bloated squad.
Financial fair play will also be taken into account, given that they are at risk of missing European qualification for the second season. Funds can be raised through sales.
Pochettino bemoaned the toothlessness and lack of aggression at Everton. He said it was “something to analyze” with the hierarchy and joint sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley. Stewart and Winstanley oversaw an ambitious project focused on signing young and often unproven talent to long-term deals.
The club’s co-owner Behdad Eghbali was also influential, but Pochettino stated that he would have more say in transfers.
It appears that Pochettino’s words did not cause unrest in the club. There is no indication that the former Tottenham manager is in danger of losing his job. Many sources have expressed satisfaction with Pochettino’s early impact and believe he has earned the respect of the dressing room.
The Argentinian has had to cope with a long list of injuries. New signings Christopher Nkunku and Roméo Lavia did not play a minute of competitive football, and Robert Sánchez, Marc Cucurella and Reece James limped off against Everton. Captain James will undergo a scan after suffering yet another hamstring injury.
Although there is a widespread belief that results at Stamford Bridge have been worse than most performances, recent displays have left Pochettino furious. He said that he felt that his team was short and that they needed to show more fight. Goals have also been a problem for Chelsea, who have mostly relied on the inexperienced Nicolas Jackson to lead the line.
Chelsea have long been interested in Toney, who is due to return next month following his suspension for breaching the Football Association’s betting rules. However, Brentford could demand at least £100 million for Toney, who is also a target for Arsenal, and there is no guarantee he will bounce back quickly after a long layoff.
The England international could also demand high wages, which could force Chelsea to move away from their strategy of giving incentive deals to top prospects. Osimhen was valued at more than £100 million by Napoli last summer. If Nkunku makes an immediate impact when he returns from a long-term knee injury, Chelsea could decide not to keep the striker. The French forward has been impressive in pre-season.
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The possible arrival of a striker could be important for Armando Broja’s future. The 22-year-old player, who wants regular football, recently returned from a serious knee injury and replaced Jackson against Everton. Broja’s long-term contract could allow Chelsea to sell him for a big fee.
The rapid turnover of players means Chelsea may struggle to find obvious sales next month. Left-back Ian Maatsen was wanted by Burnley and West Ham last summer and has fallen out of favor this season. It seems unlikely that centre-back Trevoh Chalobah will leave the team if his knee injury recovers. Conor Gallagher’s contract expires in 18 months and negotiations for a new deal have not yet started, but Pochettino does not want to lose the midfielder. Winger Noni Madueke has hardly played this season.
Chelsea’s website lists 33 players in the men’s squad. While some are academy candidates, depth is not an issue for Pochettino. It has four senior players who can play at left-back, six centre-backs, two right-backs, six midfielders, four wings and two forwards. Two of the midfielders, Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo, cost more than £100 million each.
It can be concluded that Pochettino’s problem has more to do with the quality at his disposal than the specific holes in his squad.