Chelsea are on a roll. Such is the form of Enzo Maresca and his side, there is not really much to do in January in order to really cash in on such strong start to the season.
Over the summer, it might have been expected that a push for Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen six months into his loan at Galatasaray would be on the cards. It now appears that the bigger problems are at the back.
Solving a slightly muddled and now injury impacted back-line is tough to do outside of the summer window - and Chelsea's deep squad may well put them in a position to overcome these issues between now and May, regardless.
That doesn't mean that the club don't have plenty to do. Here, football.london takes a look at the latest stories around Chelsea ahead of the January window;
Jackson slammed
Tim Sherwood criticised Nicolas Jackson for his glaring miss against Brentford, but went on to praise the Chelsea forward for his goalscoring ability regardless. Speaking after Jackson doubled the lead for his side on Sunday night, Sherwood was left frustrated with the consistency of Chelsea's No.15.
"Not just today," he said when asked if the match represented the good and bad of Jackson. "I think all season, or ever since I've seen Nicolas Jackson, he's so unpredictable.
"At times he looks like someone playing in SoccerAid who's not a footballer.
"I mean, look at this chance here. That looks like someone who's a rapper, an actor, or someone just trying to play football. But then he just turns it on. It's incredible, he scores the hardest chances and misses the easiest ones. He's such a threat. He doesn't mind if he misses chances because he knows there's more to come."
The comment around being a rapper, in particular, has left many supporters frustrated - due to the insensitivity involved. Jackson has now scored nine Premier League goals this season from 15 starts. Erling Haaland and Chris Wood are the only out-and-out centre forwards with more.
Since joining Chelsea in 2023 Jackson has scored 26 times for the club without penalties, which is more than Cole Palmer. The 23-year-old also has three assists in the league so far, making him the joint-fifth most impactful player. He is top-ranked for those not to have taken a single penalty.
football.london says: Unfortunately, this is lazy punditry from Sherwood. The description of Jackson as a rapper is extremely insensitive. As for the footballing merits, it's just really wrong.
Jackson now has a body of work built up over 18 months in England that puts him alongside the best in the world, not just the Premier League. He is a massively effective as a striker and also brings his teammates into play, making their life easier in the process.
This season, in particular, he has cut out the high-profile misses, and is now outperforming his expected goals (xG), according to stats from fbref. Chelsea only spent £30million to sign him and have been richly rewarded for standing by and finding the signal from the noise.
Sherwood is one of many to have created a false picture of Jackson. He is quietly going about changing that and will soon ensure that Sherwood eats his words.
Double transfer decision
Following on from Thursday's decision to select Carney Chukwuemeka in Chelsea's Conference League starting XI away to Astana, it was little surprise he didn't feature against Brentford. His position ahead of the January transfer window is already clear, Chelsea are prepared to let go, but he won't be off to Milan, football.london understands.
Chukwuemeka filled in for Cesare Casadei in Kazakhstan after he was suspended. The Italian has been a regular in midweek matches but isn't close to making a first-team breakthrough with a mid-season exit on the cards as well.
Maresca's decision to name Sam Rak-Sakyi on the bench for Sunday's victory against Brentford, instead of both Chukwuemeka and Casadei, therefore says a lot. Rak-Sakyi started in midfield next to Chukwuemeka in Almaty, although is yet to make his Premier League debut, making this a serious show of faith. Ben Chilwell is also nowhere to be seen as he looks set to depart next month as well.
football.london says: Had Joao Felix, Romeo Lavia, or even Mykhailo Mudryk been fit enough to make the squad at Stamford Bridge then Rak-Sakyi probably wouldn't have been. However, given the chance to select Chukwuemeka or Casadei with added absences, the writing is on the wall.
Really, their place on the fringes was already clear. This is just another nail in the coffin and all-but confirms what everyone knows already. Chelsea have no need for Chilwell, Chukwuemeka or Casadei, and they would be fine in Europe without them as well. Cobham has more than enough quality to cover for mass rotation -and expensive signings who have flopped.
Bringing Rak-Sakyi in, as well as Josh Acheampong's return to a domestic senior squad and Tyrique George getting the nod as well, is a good call. They are the real future for Chelsea and have earned themselves this chance. It is a continuation of Maresca showing he is strong enough in his convictions to make bold selections, even if it means leaving out more senior players in the process.
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Chelsea flag prior the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Leg One match between Chelsea FC and Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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