Chelsea are in a pickle following failed bids and rejection

Chelsea are now truly scrambling to sign required talent before the transfer window deadline. Failed bids and contract rejections have piled the pressure on.

The transfer window deadline is fast approaching and Chelsea seem to be falling way behind schedule. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain delivered a punch to the gut, rejecting a Blues move after Arsenal and Chelsea had agreed a fee. Subsequent bids for Ross Barkley and Danny Drinkwater have reportedly failed. Chelsea are in a pickle.

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According to BBC Sport, the Blues had a £25 million offer for Barkley turned down by Everton.

"Everton have rejected a £25m offer from Chelsea for Ross Barkley…Chelsea’s offer was below Everton’s original £50m price tag – but it is likely this will be reduced as Barkley has one year left on his contract."

Meanwhile, Leicester City are valuing Drinkwater at £40 million, much more than what Chelsea were initially prepared to spend on him.

"The Foxes are demanding £40million for his services. Chelsea have yet to match that valuation, so far offering just over £30million, including bonuses, after an initial £15million bid was dismissed out of hand. – Mirror"

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Good vibes were restored to Stamford Bridge in recent weeks. A gritty and somewhat surprising victory over Tottenham Hotspur was followed by a convincing defeat of Everton. Then, rumours suggested that the Blues were confident of making multiple signings before the deadline.

However, the latest developments have seen that newly-found bliss be thrown out of the window. Chelsea are now truly scrambling to bring in the talent they so desperately need.

With a packed schedule this season, Antonio Conte must have a deeper squad to successfully sustain challenges on all four fronts. With Manchester United racing out of the Premier League blocks, Chelsea could be quickly left in their wake.

A large squad is vital not just to cover for injuries, but to increase internal competition. This would force current first-team players to raise their games.

Chelsea, though, risk leaving their manager with a desperately small pool of players to choose from. With the likes of Jeremie Boga also leaving on loan (reports suggest Charly Musonda could follow suit), the squad is thinner than before.

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It is frankly time to hit the panic button, at least from the fans’ perspective. Hopefully, the Blues board still have a few tricks left up their sleeves.