Chelsea have been known for spending their way to Premier League titles since the days of Roman Abramovich owning the club. Now under the Todd Boehly regime at Stamford Bridge, money spent on players has not diminished.
After a couple of underwhelming seasons, the new Chelsea owner appears to have finally managed to assemble a side that can compete for the title. Enzo Maresca's side are currently third in the Premier League, and have recent experience of winning the Club World Cup and the Europa Conference League.
The Blues' roster could be further improved with the addition of another midfielder in January. TEAMtalk has reported that "(Crystal) Palace and England sensation (Adam) Wharton sits atop the wishlist... A more immediate possibility, however, is Nico Paz... Perhaps the most intriguing name on Chelsea’s radar is Kobbie Mainoo."
Would Chelsea be able to sign Adam Wharton in January?
Wharton is one of the most highly rated young English players and has been linked with other top Premier League and European clubs. Palace have shown that they can hold firm on whether they will allow players to leave the club. They refused to sell Marc Guéhi to Liverpool last summer despite the player being out of contract at the end of the campaign.
As he is contracted to Palace until 2029, Palace is under no pressure to sell Wharton in the immediate future. The Eagles would demand a high sum for Wharton, and their manager, Oliver Glasner, would be reluctant to let another one of his star players leave. Glasner has already seen Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze depart Selhurst Park.
What about Chelsea's other targets?
Nico Paz is a 21-year-old who came through the ranks at Real Madrid. However, he made just eight first-team appearances for Los Blancos before being sold to Como. He is more of an attacking midfielder than Wharton, and has scored four goals with four assists in 11 Serie A games this season. Paz already has six caps for Argentina.
Mainoo is more of a similar player to Wharton, and Chelsea has signed young talent from Manchester United recently. Alejandro Garnacho joined the London club from the Red Devils last summer. Mainoo has struggled for game time at United recently, so he will fancy a move away from the club. However, starting for Chelsea will not be guaranteed, with Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernández currently at Stamford Bridge.