After their reckless recent outlay, the Blues should not need to spend again – but they find themselves desperately searching for solutions once more
"We need to talk and to try and improve in the next transfer market. If we are not aggressive enough (on the pitch) maybe we need to do something. Our reality now is mid-table and if we want to go up we have to push ourselves. If perception here (indicating one point on a line) and reality is here (indicating another point) then we are missing something in the middle. Sometimes it’s good, a reality check."
That was Mauricio Pochettino's not-so-subtle suggestion that he will demand that Chelsea's free-spending owners open their bottomless wallets once again in January, and a damning indictment of the Boehly-Clearlake consortium's reckless spending to date.
Despite their outlay surpassing £1 billion ($1.3bn) since the takeover in 2022, head coach Pochettino wants further reinforcements for his toiling squad in the new year, with a defender, midfielder and striker all on his shopping list.
The Blues' spent north of £320 million (£407m) in January 2023 and they are set to be very active once again just 12 months on – but who should they be looking to bring in? GOAL weighs up their best options…
GettySantiago Gimenez (Feyenoord)
Victor Osimhen and Ivan Toney's names have dominated the gossip columns in Chelsea's search for a new No.9, but they would likely both cost in the region of £100m ($127m) and neither is risk-free, given the former has never played in the Premier League and the latter is returning from an eight-month betting ban.
Although those sorts of figures are increasingly the norm, the limited success of their mind-blowing spending a year ago should lead the Blues' transfer chiefs to be more cautious this time around.
That's where Gimenez comes into the picture. The Mexican has plundered 20 goals in 22 games this season for Feyenoord, and various reports suggest he would represent far better value than his counterparts at anything between £35m-£60m ($44m-$76m).
History dictates that it's a gamble to sign the Eredivisie's leading lights, but Gimenez might just represent a calculated mid-season risk worth taking.
AdvertisementGettyJoao Palhinha (Fulham)
Despite spending more than £220m ($279m) on Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo in 2023, Chelsea somehow still find themselves short of central midfield depth beyond their starting trio of the South American pair and Conor Gallagher.
Romeo Lavia is only just about to turn 20 and is still working his way back from an injury that has delayed his debut for months, while Lesley Ugochukwu probably would have been loaned out in different circumstances.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, then, Pochettino wants another new midfielder to bolster his squad, and given he is keen on Premier League experience, Fulham destroyer Palhinha would fit the bill – the kind of player who could be transformative for a leaky defence and would enable Pochettino to rotate and perhaps avoid yet more injuries.
In another world he would already be a Bayern Munich player, but in the months since his £60m ($76m) deadline-day move collapsed, the Bavarians' interest seems to have gone cold. That means there could be an opportunity to take the Portugal international across west London, although there is competition from Manchester City.
GettyNico Elvedi (Borussia Monchengladbach)
A signing that may well be necessitated by Reece James' incessant hamstring problems. The club captain is set to undergo surgery having suffered yet another injury following the one that ruled him out at the start of the campaign.
Marc Cucurella had deputised for him out of position, but the Spaniard has also gone under the knife, and fellow left-back Ben Chilwell is only just coming back from his own hamstring issue. That leaves Chelsea desperately short in the full-back positions, with Malo Gusto and Ian Maatsen their only recognised options, although Pochettino has often turned to centre-backs Levi Colwill and Axel Disasi.
With Wesley Fofana also out for the long-term, the Blues are believed to want a new defender in January, with Gladbach's Elvedi among those linked. The Switzerland international can play at both right-back and centre-back, so would come in very handy given Chelsea's predicament – and he could be available for just £30m ($38m).
GettyViktor Gyokeres (Sporting CP)
Another prolific alternative to Osimhen or Toney could be Sporting's Gyokeres. The former Brighton hitman has moved across Chelsea's radar courtesy of 25 goal involvements in 20 games, an excellent return in his brief time in Lisbon.
Pochettino has admitted he wants to improve the overall height of his squad, and at 6'2 Gyokeres would fit the role. Like Gimenez, though, it's a move that would come with a degree of risk, as the west Londoners will need him to adapt quickly to the step up to the Premier League.
His price tag may prove to be a significant stumbling block, too. Despite obviously being worth significantly less at this stage, Gyokeres' has a €100 million (£86m/$109m) release clause – and Sporting currently have no intention to let him go for less. Speaking recently, manager Ruben Amorim said: "He will only leave if someone pays the buyout clause in January – otherwise he will stay."