Chelsea Tactics and Transfers: Strong January window crucial to Blues’ future
Do not be mistaken in thinking Chelsea FC can afford to let this January’s transfer window slip. With the Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois contract situations carelessly allowed to float into their current standing, Chelsea need to make a statement.
Ordinarily the January transfer window is a terrible place to do business. It is a place for desperate clubs to do desperate deals that are very poorly constructed economically. The players do n’ot have any summer training sessions to get to know their teammates, the club or even the new city or neighborhood in which they will be living.
Unfortunately, due to a little bit of shaky recent management, Chelsea FC are in a spot of bother at the moment. As a reult, this January is frightfully more important than it should be.
The general thinking recommends clubs renew important players pretty regularly. The balance of contractual power is in the club’s favor until there are two years remaining. Then it swings back to the player and their agent.
Chelsea have two very important players with contracts far too close to that point, raising the question if that is one of the reasons Michael Emenalo so suddenly quit Stamford Bridge. The issue with Hazard and Courtois is – though it would be nice – you cannot force a player to sign a contract. Needing leverage to entice these stars to stay, the club must show some ambition and make a statement this summer.
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Chelsea need to make several signings this winter. A striker who is a compatible reserve and impact substitute, as well as some depth in the midfield and at left-back are all necessary. Antonio Conte could really use two new stars, whether from existing transfer target lists or names more recently in contention. Those stars can help push for the Champions League and gain some traction in the Premier League.
In recent years, Chelsea have slipped down the pecking order of the world’s elite players. Their poor transfer strategy, worse negotiating and a lack of ambition let this happen. Chelsea should make a statement signing like Alexis Sanchez in order to put their feet down and halt the slide.
Manchester City and United are quickly becoming the two top teams in England. Chelsea must fight this. They cannot allow Virgil Van Djik and Alexis Sanchez to go to Manchester City. That would be a colossal failure by the Blues. They do not need Van Djik in the same sense they need Sanchez, but if it prevents him going to City then they have to do it.
Alex Sandro would be a phenomenal option. The Blues are so reliant on their current wing-backs it is only a matter of time before Marcos Alonso is injured due to overwork. However, Chelsea also have much to gain by signing Ryan Sessegnon instead. He has been mooted as a future Ashley Cole – Gareth Bale hybrid. At 18 years old Chelsea could finally solve the left-back issue for a decade, as well as inject some much needed Englishness into the team.
Chelsea could also attain that by adding Ross Barkley. However, they must first assess the reason for his proposed transfer breaking down last summer, as well as his troublesome hamstring. If he is not willing to be a squad member then Chelsea should hold off.
As the back-up striker and impact substitute it would not be out of the realm of possibility for Chelsea to add either Daniel Sturridge or – stay with me – Andy Carroll. Carroll would be a better impact substitute and fits Antonio Conte’s Fernando Lorente mould. Carroll cannot be expected to start 38 matches a season, but to batter tired opponents and win headers for the last 15 minutes when chasing matches? Why not? Chelsea could add him in a deal involving Michy Batshuayi, and he would also add some English to the squad.
The reason I go on about the Englishness is because the current Chelsea side lack identity. It is a problem big clubs go through when they drift away from their basics. Bayern went through it and so did Real Madrid. But they recovered since then, and at the moment Barcelona are trying to work back to that.
Players who represent identity are important. The greatest Chelsea side of all time had a great deal of English to it. Chelsea should get back to that as well.
This window matters far more than anybody would admit. It’s doubly important given the upcoming World Cup. The squad will have less time to gel next summer as they will almost all be away. Building the team for next season must begin now.
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Chelsea must lock down Eden Hazard to a long (and lucrative) contract, as he might be the best player the Blues have ever had. The club could recover from his loss but it would be exactly, merely that: a recovery. Chelsea must see through the deal, but Hazard will need to see ambition on the club’s behalf as well. They can and must show that ambition this January.