Chelsea’s transfer policy seems to be split into two camps currently: backing the manager with short term options or preparing for the future.
Every single club’s transfer policy largely falls into one of two piles. The first pile is all about the now and who can help right away even if that is only for a few months. The second pile is who could help in the future, even if they are less than ideal for the now.
Both have their merits and their drawbacks. And they do not need to be incompatible either. Clubs with technical directors, sporting directors, or managers (as opposed to head coaches) can bridge the gap between the two. But a club with just a head coach and no technical/sporting director ahead of them? They often get caught into making binary choices.
Chelsea, of course, is one of those clubs stuck making an x versus y choice. Maurizio Sarri is asked his opinion by Marina Granovskaia, but that is where the bridge ends. So every decision Chelsea is making this window is a choice between now and then without thinking about ways to act with both in mind at the same time.
Take the Gonzalo Higuain transfer for instance. That is very much a transfer with the now in mind. The deal is only supposed to be six months on loan with the possibility of extending it (or buying him outright). If Higuain is extended, it likely means that Giroud will be departing. And regardless of who sticks around next season, they should be the back up to someone younger who can help long term.
But on the other side of the spectrum is the lingering Leandro Paredes deal. Chelsea has already sold Cesc Fabregas and they need someone who can replace him in deputizing, or even usurping, Jorginho. But the board seems hesitant of considering any deal because of Mason Mount. They fear that Mount will try to force a move if Paredes comes in. So the club is thinking about the future even at the cost of the now.
So where is the disconnect? Well think about what Chelsea needs right now and for the future. Higuain is the second striker over 30 bought in as many years. Would it not make more sense to go all in on a proven striker as soon as possible to lead the line for years, not months?
And on the midfield issue, a back up to Jorginho is needed now, not later. Sarri himself keeps saying that. Mount may feel targeted by the transfer (even if he is likely to play another position), but that does not get Chelsea away from needing someone right now. If Jorginho goes down, the club has no one to back him up for the rest of the season.
A technical director could help bridge these two islands. They could say Paredes is someone needed now while convincing Mount that it is needed and he can still find a place. They could also try to find a long term striker for a long term problem, not another short term solution.
This may not be a catastrophic issue right now, but it could quickly become one. If Chelsea keeps acting in a binary way, eventually one of the two will win out and the Blues will stop considering the other. Both have value and can be compatible with one another. But that is not the case right now and it remains a worry.