Who could Chelsea have signed in the January window?placeholder image
Who could Chelsea have signed in the January window? | Getty Images
Chelsea were strangely quiet in the January transfer window - but who could they have signed?
Chelsea have been one of the Premier League’s busiest sides when transfer windows are concerned in recent season, but that was not the case this January.
The Blues stayed eerily silent, neither making a major first-team signing nor securing a big-money sale either. The biggest news of their January was, of course, the contract of Raheem Sterling being ripped up for the 31-year-old to depart Stamford Bridge as a free agent. But the former England winger had not been a part of the Blues’ regular first-team squad anyway, so his exit has hardly changed the options available to new boss Liam Rosenior.
The same can be said for Axel Disasi, who left for West Ham United on loan, and to an extent also Everton-bound Tyrique George. Facundo Buonanotte also returned to Brighton after seeing what was always an odd loan deal terminated. Who could Chelsea have brought in had things gone differently, though? Rosenior arrived early enough in the month for late transfer business to be done, but BlueCo opted against spending big on this occasion.
Chelsea beaten to huge £60m defender signing by stunning hijack
Chelsea may have ended the January transfer window empty-handed, but it could so very easily have been different. The Blues were believed to be in the driving seat to sign highly-rated defender Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes, but could not close a deal – and in stepped Liverpool with a late hijack to sign the Frenchman for a fee worth up to £60m.
Though a caveat in the deal was that Jacquet will remain at Rennes for the remainder of the season, before joining up with the Liverpool squad in the summer. It is possible that Chelsea were not interested in including such a clause in a deal. Either that, or the player saw a clearer pathway to the first team at Anfield. But a deal was thought to be all-but done with Chelsea and losing out on their top transfer target was a major blow.
Rosenior has several central defenders at his disposal, but very few of them – if any – have the type of top-level experience required to compete for the biggest honours. Marc Guéhi, an FA Cup-winning captain who also started for England in the final of the Euros, was available this January and yet Chelsea appeared almost entirely absent from transfer discussions.
What makes this all the more baffling is the fact that Guéhi actually came through the academy at Cobham and already knows the club. Why a more serious attempt to re-sign their former player was not made by Chelsea is a mystery – particularly for as little as £20m for a player in his prime. Manchester City ultimately moved almost unchallenged to sign him, despite the long list of clubs reported to be interested.
Midfield duo linked with Blues amidst PSG wonderkid interest
Elsewhere, Chelsea were linked with multiple moves to improve their midfield options this month, which were also ultimately unsuccessful. Douglas Luiz was heavily linked with an arrival at Stamford Bridge from Juventus, despite a forgettable loan spell with Nottingham Forest in the first half of the season.
But Aston Villa swooped to secure Luiz on a loan deal with an option to buy instead, with the Brazilian returning to his former club. Reports by Metro state that Chelsea dropped out of the running for Luiz due to the strong form of Andrey Santos and with Romeo Lavia thought to be close to a return from injury, which may have limited Luiz’s minutes at Stamford Bridge.
Another former West Midlands midfield star was linked with a move to Stamford Bridge in the shape of Al-Hilal ace Ruben Neves, formerly captain of Wolves. Chelsea were even offered the chance to sign him, according to reports by Caught Offside in mid-January. This did not come to fruition, though, as it was confirmed on Wednesday that Neves has committed his future to the Saudi club with a new deal until 2029. Chelsea could certainly have done with another body in midfield, as both of Reece James and Malo Gusto have often been used there this season. But if Lavia does return soon and can stay fit, it would prove a massive boost in this sense.
In a somewhat ambitious rumour breaking towards the end of the window – but perfectly on brand with Chelsea under this ownership – the west London outfit were linked with a stunning move for PSG wonderkid Ibrahim Mbaye. The 18-year-old has broken through at the Parc des Princes this season and recently won his first AFCON with Senegal, attracting inevitable interest from Chelsea as per Sky Sports Germany’s Florian Plettenberg. Nothing materialised before the transfer deadline, though, and the Blues remained quiet in the winter window. One must imagine this means they will hit the summer market doubly hard later this year.
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