For Chelsea to have the perfect January transfer window there are four key moves they need to make
Cole Palmer and Enzo Maresca
Chelsea could sign Cole Palmer's 'replacement' in January
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(Image: Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Predicting a Chelsea transfer window is usually a fool's errand. In recent years, the Blues have oscillated wildly between deafening silence and chaotic, record-breaking extravagance.
Their hit rate hasn't exactly been consistent either. For every Enzo Fernandez, Nicolas Anelka or Branislav Ivanovic, there's been a Fernando Torres, a Juan Cuadrado or a Mark Bosnich.
As the January 2026 window looms, the stakes at Stamford Bridge are sky high. Chelsea are ticking along and have shown glimpses of title-contending form - but they still feel unmistakably like a work-in-progress.
Injuries and disappointing form have laid bare significant gaps and uncomfortable frailties in Enzo Maresca's squad, problems that can no longer be ignored. If Chelsea are to secure their place in the top four - and perhaps even push for silverware - decisive action will be required.
£80m Palmer replacement signed
The recent injury to Cole Palmer has been a wake-up call for the Blues. While they have plenty of forwards, the squad looks frighteningly light on genuine No. 10s who can dictate play through the middle.
After enquiring about Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo, Chelsea appear to have cooled their interest, and rightly so - they need a technician, not another ball-carrier. The dream pivot here is Barcelona's Fermin Lopez.
Fermin Lopez
Fermin Lopez was linked with Chelsea in the summer
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(Image: Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
Lopez was heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge in the summer but the deal never materialised. Since then, the 22-year-old has been electric in La Liga, showcasing the kind of vision and goal-scoring instinct from midfield that Chelsea desperately lack when Palmer is sidelined.
He won't come cheap, with reports suggesting Barcelona want at least £80million for him - an eye-watering sum, but one arguably worth paying.
Liverpool 'agreement' ruined
Nothing sweetens a transfer window quite like getting one over on a rival. Liverpool came agonisingly close to signing Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi last summer, only for the deal to collapse at the 11th hour.
The Reds are now widely reported to have a "gentleman's agreement" to sign him on a free transfer when his contract expires next summer, but Chelsea have the financial power to wreck those plans right now.
Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace
Marc Guehi would shore up Chelsea's backline
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(Image: Vince Mignott/MB Media, Getty Images)
With Levi Colwill still sidelined, Chelsea's need for defensive steel is urgent. Swooping in with a substantial cash offer in January to convince Palace to sell early would solve an immediate crisis while leaving Liverpool empty-handed.
Guehi is a Cobham academy graduate, meaning the transition would be seamless and his leadership is exactly what a sometimes naive Chelsea backline requires for the run-in.
Sterling kicked to the curb
A dream window isn't just about incomings - it's about housekeeping. Raheem Sterling remains something of an elephant in the room at Cobham. Despite not featuring for the first team in months, he is still on the books, training with the reserves while collecting eye-watering wages that could be better spent elsewhere.
The situation has become a nuisance for both parties. For Chelsea, finally finding a buyer - whether it's a cut-price transfer or a wage-covering loan deal - is essential to maintaining training ground harmony.
Raheem Sterling
Chelsea need to get Raheem Sterling off their books
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(Image: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
Maignan arrives on short-term deal
Chelsea have had goalkeeping problems for nearly a decade now. While Robert Sanchez has admittedly been solid this season, there is a lingering feeling that he lacks the elite, world-class talent required to deliver consistent, top-quality performances.
Enter Mike Maignan. The AC Milan stopper was a top target in the summer - but Chelsea baulked at the fee given his expiring contract. Now, with Milan desperate not to lose him for free, a cut-price short-term deal - or even a short-term loan, should a move to Chelsea help facilitate a contract extension - becomes a distinct possibility.
Mike Maignan
Mike Maignan would be a big upgrade on Robert Sanchez(Image: Photo by Claudio Villa/AC Milan via Getty Images)
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It might seem harsh on Sanchez, but Maignan offers that extra five or 10 per cent - the crucial save to secure fourth place over fifth, or the heroics needed in a penalty shootout.
Crucially, a short-term arrangement suits Chelsea's long-term vision. The club has massive faith in 20-year-old prodigy Mike Penders, currently excelling on loan at Strasbourg. Bringing in Maignan bridges the gap for six, 12 or possibly 18 months without blocking Penders' eventual path to the No. 1 shirt.
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