It is appealing to think that Chelsea can make one or two good January moves and have a complete squad. But the issues run deeper than that.
January is approaching, which means an uptick in transfer rumors and wish lists. During this time, it is common to believe one or two really good transfers can solve everything going wrong.
But the issues at Chelsea run deeper than that. Just like switching to a 4-2-3-1 simply shifts problems around, one or two transfers just show where another weak point is in the squad.
Starting with striker, Chelsea needs someone they can rely on up top. Eden Hazard as a striker seems to be more of a temporary solution now that it has so completely failed against Leicester. But then another issue comes up; does it really matter who is up top if Chelsea create nothing for their striker?
Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud need service. That they often flub the service they get is another issue. But it became painfully apparent with Hazard in the role that the striker very much has to do it all on his own most of the time.
So then the answer is a winger who can contribute right? Willian cannot score or assist and often slows down the play. But the problem with creative wingers like that is that they often leave much to be desire on the defensive end (see: Hazard).
Midfield then becomes the issue and it is the trickiest one Maurizio Sarri has. Mateo Kovacic, Jorginho, and N’Golo Kante form the strongest midfield currently with Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ross Barkley offering the more attacking options. But their current balance is off and it shows.
Kante is often too far forward and Kovacic too deep. When Chelsea is dominant in possession, all three midfielders often leave the defense exposed to counters. This issue is more tactical than player related and there is simply no easy solution.
If the defense is exposed, surely the answer is to buy defenders? Well Chelsea is quite loaded in the back. Marcos Alonso is the favored scapegoat by those who do not understand how exposed he is by his teammates and those who ignore the contributions he does make. They prefer Emerson who merely does the basics and little else to stand out.
A bigger issue is the zonal defense and players often being confused by it. The players least confused (i.e., the players most likely to decide they need to commit regardless of whose zone it is) are actually the two fullbacks. The centerbacks, understandably, face the most confusion with knowing who must commit.
David Luiz would be the clear weak link as he is the one who often messes up the zonal defense by either committing when it is not his zone or by not committing at all. Leicester’s goal came when he was so far out of place he may as well not even have played.
That makes at least three transfers and some adjustments that need to be made to make Sarrismo work. That is not even to mention how slow and uninventive the play often is when Sarri wants it to be fast and creative.
The market may offer a solution, but Chelsea need many solutions if they are to fix all their issues in January.