Chelsea welcome west London rivals Brentford to Stamford Bridge on Saturday for Liam Rosenior’s first match in charge in the competition.
The Englishman succeeded Enzo Maresca as the Blues’ head coach earlier this month and guided his side to an impressive 5-1 win over Championship side Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup third round in his first match on Saturday night.
Rosenior suffered defeat in his first home match in charge of the Blues, though, with his side beaten 3-2 by London rivals Arsenal in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final tie at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday evening.
The Bees currently sit sixth in the Premier League table – two points ahead of Chelsea – and will likely provide a stern test for their west London neighbours on Saturday.
In the meantime, it is emerging that Chelsea are eyeing new recruits in one particular area of the pitch during the remainder of the current transfer window.
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are exploring a move to sign a new centre-back during the current window after holding internal talks.
Ordonez has already represented Ecuador at Under-20 level (Photo: Associated Press/Alamy)
The Blues have recruited extremely heavily since being taken over by BlueCo in 2022, including last summer when the likes of Liam Delap, Joao Pedro and Alejandro Garnacho all arrived at Stamford Bridge.
They have struggled with injuries and suspensions in defence this term, though, especially with Levi Colwill having missed the entirety of the campaign so far after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Romano claims that Chelsea are keen to add to their defensive ranks despite already agreeing a deal to sign Deinner Ordonez from Independiente del Valle, with the 16-year-old central defender set to move to London in 2027.
Those in charge of the Blues’ recruitment are said to be weighing up potential targets in an effort to sign a new centre-back prior to the current transfer window closing at the end of the month.