Is Chelsea gearing up for the great January of recalls?

Usually at this point, roughly two weeks until January, transfer rumors have begun to fly with some level of truth behind them. It’s been rare since Covid that clubs do too much business in January but Chelsea is still Chelsea and the Blues are almost always linked to somebody by a reputable source.

Instead, there are crickets. Most of the talk around Chelsea has centered around players being able to negotiate in the last six months of their contracts with other clubs. There is still the usual rumor that pops up only when the Blues are set to play another team and they are linked to that team’s player, but those are all too weak to take seriously.

All signs are pointing towards a quiet January. That is, of course, unless Chelsea lets the recall clauses fly throughout the pyramid.

Some of this is the short term calculus Chelsea is currently going through. Injuries are piling up and just when one depth crisis ends, another one begins. Thomas Tuchel clearly prefers and trusts some players over others, which leaves a small opening for outsiders to come in and get a chance.

Midfield is the current area of weakness and the Blues have two midfielders starting week in and week out for other Premier League clubs. Conor Gallagher is arguably the current Premier League player of the season as he almost singlehandedly carries Crystal Palace away from relegation. Billy Gilmour, meanwhile, has quickly become a centerpiece of Dean Smith’s Norwich as they look to save themselves.

But bringing either back could prove tricky. Both are playing at their clubs currently. Furthermore, even if they were recalled to Chelsea, they would only play for the Blues until Mateo Kovacic, Jorginho, and N’Golo Kante all find fitness. The only caveat to that is maybe Tuchel changes to something with a three man midfield, but that could make things more complicated if Mason Mount or Kai Havertz start getting counted as midfielders.

Then there is the left wingback situation. Ben Chilwell could return, but it is simply too early to make that diagnosis. Marcos Alonso and various others can fill in, but since Chilwell’s injury the Blues have struggled defensively (not a single cleansheet since he went out versus Juventus). Making a signing would be a long term solution to a short term problem, especially with Ian Maatsen doing so well on loan.

If the Blues make a signing, it is very unlikely that Maatsen has a place at Chelsea going forward. His pathway blocked like so many others, he’ll leave. And that would be a shame given how he is currently doing in the Championship. Is it just the Championship? Sure, but Mason Mount and Reece James had little issue making the jump from Championship to Champions League. Cobham has proven doubters wrong time and time again, yet they need to be constantly reminded.

But for any of these players, is it better to get a chance at Chelsea or stay where they are for another six months of playing time? There is no easy answer. Six months won’t make or break a career and Chelsea could surely use these players. At the same time, they could develop much faster with the guaranteed playing time they have elsewhere.

With a lack of transfer rumors, the idea of a recall (or two, or three) seems more likely now than ever. Chelsea has done it before with Nathan Ake before strangely barely using him at all. Gallagher was also pulled from one Championship loan midseason only to be put in another Championship loan that same season. There is a precedent for moves like this. And maybe Chelsea is considering their old playbook this window instead of stop gap transfers which haven’t worked out in recent memory.