Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing a Nottingham Forest player in the January transfer window.
The Blues would benefit from some reinforcements next month after falling to fifth in the Premier League table.
Especially with the injuries to Levi Colwill and Romeo Lavia, Enzo Maresca does not have as many options as he would like.
He will be pleased that the recruitment team is looking to improve the squad in January, but they are looking in the wrong direction.
Indeed, Chelsea’s interest in a Forest outcast proves that sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley keep making the same mistakes.
The position that Chelsea MUST strengthen in 2026 is _ _ _ _ _ _
Chelsea owner Behdad Eghbali and directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart at Wolves game
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
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James McAtee on Chelsea’s radar for January transfer window
Chelsea have held an interest in Nottingham Forest midfielder James McAtee since Enzo Maresca took charge in the summer of 2024.
Like Cole Palmer and Liam Delap, Maresca worked with McAtee in his previous role with the Manchester City academy.
The Daily Mail is now reporting that Chelsea are one of five Premier League clubs monitoring the midfielder ahead of the January window.
James McAtee of Nottingham Forest warms up ahead of kick-off during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur
Photo by Jon Hobley/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
McAtee has struggled to break into Sean Dyche’s Forest team, playing just 428 minutes in all competitions this season.
It would certainly make sense for the 23-year-old to seek more opportunities elsewhere, but Stamford Bridge would not be the right move.
McAtee is not better than Andrey Santos, and Chelsea’s interest in him raises even more questions about Stewart and Winstanley.
SCENARIO: You are one of Chelsea’s sporting directors and Todd Boehly has given you £60m to spend in January. Who are you signing?
Your potential shortlist could include:
Kobbie Mainoo
Mike Maignan
Marc Guehi
Todd Boehly and Paul Winstanley during Chelsea and Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge.
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James McAtee signing would be another mistake by Chelsea’s sporting directors
The biggest reason Chelsea are not in the Premier League title race is that they dropped too many points from winning positions.
The Blues have taken the lead in as many games as Aston Villa (13), but they have drawn two and lost three of them.
This highlights game management as an issue for Enzo Maresca’s team, which makes sense considering their lack of experience.
Chelsea have a plethora of exciting young talent, but they do not have enough players who know how to win big games and trophies.
Now, besides the fact that McAtee would struggle for minutes at Stamford Bridge, he would not solve the Blues’ problem with inexperience.
Instead, the situation proves that Winstanley and Stewart are simply too stubborn with their transfer strategy when they should be prioritizing proven winners.
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