Chelsea have had problems with their transition to Sarriball, mainly because of the make up of the squad. Some of the players simply do not fit in and have to be replaced. Others may fit in for the time being, but Chelsea needs an upgrade on them as soon as possible.
The January transfer window has been open for about two weeks now and Chelsea are still struggling to make signings. They signed Christian Pulisic very early in the window but they have yet to make any other signings despite the obvious need to do so. Chelsea need a midfielder to replace Cesc Fabregas and a striker to replace the misfiring Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud.
Leandro Paredes, Nicolo Barella and Gonzalo Higuain have been linked, but none appear any closer to signing. Paredes will be a good replacement for Fabregas, but Barella is a box-to-box midfielder. He would be more of replacement for N’Golo Kante. Higuaín is not what he used to be, but is still a better fit for Sarriball than any of the current options. He is only going to be a short-term answer – albeit an expensive one – until a more suitable and long-term striker can be signed in the summer.
Transfers are notoriously difficult to complete in January. Most clubs do not want to lose important players in the middle of the season. They might be fighting for a Champions League place or battling relegation, and losing such players could ruin their chances. Inadequate time to find a suitable replacement is also another reason why clubs rarely sell players at this time of the year.
As a way to mitigate those factors, the selling clubs usually charge a premium for their players. Bournemouth slapping a £75 million price tag on Callum Wilson is a good example. Despite those factors, some good bargains could still be found in the January window. Gary Cahill for £7 million is one, but such signings are very rare.
The Chelsea squad needs fresh blood and they need them quickly. Some of the players know they have no one to replace them and that has made them complacent. The likes of Marcos Alonso, Jorginho and Willian have faced downturns in form but keep playing since there’s no one to take their place.
Marcos Alonso and Jorginho, in particular, look fatigued and need a few weeks of rest to get back to form. The number of matches played in December and January has taken their toll on two of the Blues’ most important players.
Emerson Palmieri is not trusted enough to replace Marcos Alonso in the Premier League. Cesc Fabregas’ sale means Jorginho has no one to replace him whenever he’s tired or struggling to impact games. Sarri made this point after the recent win against Newcastle.
The Blues are fighting for a top-four place and are still in three cup competitions. Not signing players in time or not signing at all could derail their hopes for the season. Antonio Conte’s final season at the club is a prime example of what could happen if the board does not act early enough. In Conte’s case, he needed a replacement for Alvaro Morata, but the club did not sign Olivier Giroud in time.
At a point last January, the Blues were second in the league and in the semi-finals of the League Cup. Their League Cup campaign ended at that stage thanks to Morata’s hat-trick of misses in the second leg against Arsenal. Their league campaign also faltered and they dropped to fifth at the end of the season.
Maurizio Sarri has worked something of a mini-miracle to still be in the top four with a strike force of Giroud and Morata. Not signing a replacement for them – and for Fabregas as well – has the potential to derail this season as well.