Tchouameni in, Saul out: What Chelsea need in January transfer window

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 21 Dec 2021 18:23 GMT
• 6 min read

Chelsea have one of the deepest squads in Europe, and were heavily praised for that fact over the summer.

However, an injury crisis, and countless positive COVID cases have ensured they now have a threadbare set of players, and it's seriously hampered their form, and halted their early season progress.

The Blues were sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League until very recently, but with just one win in their past four league games, they've slipped to third, and are now playing catch-up.

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It seems a lifetime ago that Chelsea were blowing Norwich and Newcastle out the water, and reinforcement are certainly on the agenda for the January transfer window.

The lack of central midfield options available to Thomas Tuchel forced him to play an injured Jorginho for several weeks, with N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic both sidelined, while Ben Chilwell's knee issue has affected the side far more than many would've expected.

But, what do they need to do over the winter?

Goalkeepers

Chelsea seem pretty set in between the sticks. Leaving the West Ham defeat as an exception, Edouard Mendy has been truly excellent this season, and Kepa Arrizabalaga is a more than capable back-up.

If the African Cup of Nations goes ahead, then Mendy will be missing throughout the majority of January, so Kepa will need to step up, but this season he has proven that he can perform when called upon.

The addition of Marcus Bettinelli over the summer covers the basis of a back-up to Kepa during that period as well.

No work is needed in goal over January.

Defenders

The major issue with Chelsea's defence remains the contract situations of almost all their centre-backs. Antonio Rudiger, Thiago Silva, Andreas Christensen, and Cesar Azpilicueta all haven't renewed their current deals yet, so will all be departing for free in the summer at this rate.

Agreeing new deals for them should be the number one priority for Chelsea over January, although it's becoming increasingly common knowledge that Rudiger, in particular, will seek an exit, rather than sign a new contract at Stamford Bridge.

If Rudiger agrees a pre-contract somewhere on the continent in January, then a move for a new centre-back will take place, but Chelsea may simply wait until the summer to seal a deal.

Malang Sarr, however, has attracted interest from Serie A, and Chelsea may look to ship him to Italy, most likely on loan. If Sarr does leave, then a replacement will be looked at, and Chelsea could kill two birds with one stone by bringing in Jules Kounde in January, instead of waiting until the summer.

The Frenchman has arguably been the standout centre-back in Spain this season, and adding such quality would obviously improve Chelsea's backline.

The only problem would be fitting him in alongside their current crop of talent in that position.

Left-back is also a problem. Chilwell's absence has left Marcos Alonso as the only option at left wing-back, and although the Spaniard has performed well for Chelsea in the past, he's no longer at his peak, and could be upgraded.

Ajax' Nicolas Tagliafico would be ideal as he's currently playing a back-up role, so would except being number two to Chilwell, but would also be a better fit for Tuchel that Alonso is.

Chelsea would be wise to sign the Argentine, or bargain Everton for out-of-favour Lucas Digne.

Midfielders

Central midfield has been a problem for Chelsea this term, with N'Golo Kante's fitness becoming even more of a concern. The Frenchman is world-class when he plays, but he's playing less and less, and sitting on the sidelines more and more.

His injury record is now sketchy, and means he can't be relied upon. A replacement is needed, and if that can happen in January it would be the ideal scenario for the club.

While Declan Rice is clearly a favourite, he will cost far too much in January, so Monaco's Aurelien Tchouameni is someone the club should target. He's on their radar, and would be a perfect fit to learn under Kante's guidance, and allow the former Leicester man to rest. Perhaps the biggest problem with Kante is that he's always forced back from injury early, and plays too much. Two games a week doesn't seem feasible for him, so buying Tchouameni would help his workload massively.

With Monaco sitting eighth in Ligue 1, Chelsea may be able to pry the French midfielder away in January, but it would cost a little more than in the summer.

Another midfielder currently on Chelsea's books is Saul Niguez. The Spaniard is on loan from Atletico Madrid, but has seemed a shadow of his former self. It's been a couple of years since Saul was at his best, but at Chelsea that fact has been broadcast to the world.

The fast-tempo of the English game clearly doesn't suit Saul's style of play, and despite several outings, he's been unable to impress. In fact, he's been a weak link in Chelsea's side. There has been talk of cutting his loan move short, and if the Blues can seal a deal for Tchouameni, then letting Saul return to Spain could be the best option.

Ross Barkley is another who could leave Stamford Bridge, and a sale could help fund a move for Tchouameni, so Tuchel would be wise to let him go.

Forwards

Romelu Lukaku is yet to get into his stride at Chelsea, with an initial adaption period followed by an injury, which has been followed by a positive COVID case.

He's been unable to catch a break, although he'll be hoping for a change in the New Year. The Belgian needs to find form, because goals have been somewhat of an issue for Chelsea this year, at least in comparison to Manchester City and Liverpool.

Timo Werner has also been struck down by injury and COVID, so more is expected of the German in the coming weeks, especially as he'd begun to find a glimmer of form in the Champions League.

Considering the outlay on Lukaku in the summer, reinforcements at the sharp end of the pitch are extremely unlikely, and even recalling Armando Broja from his impressive loan spell at Southampton seems far-fetched.

The only possibility could be departures, but considering the lack of options Tuchel has been forced to deal with recently up front, selling an attacker would be foolish. Christian Pulisic, or Hakim Ziyech would be the most likely to go if a sale was permitted.