Liam Rosenior will have a tough test on his hands when he faces Mikel Arteta's in-form Arsenal team in his very second game as the manager of Chelsea. No matter what happens on the day, one has to be careful not to judge the former Strasbourg boss too early. The 5-1 win against Charlton might have raised hopes, but it is just one result in isolation.
In the long run, it is very clear that Chelsea need to strengthen the squad significantly if they want to compete with the likes of Arsenal over the course of a full season. They need both proven quality and experience, something that has been overlooked under the new ownership's recruitment strategy, which has solely focused on signing highly-rated youngsters.
It remains to be seen if they are willing to change their ways after bringing in their sixth manager in three-and-a-half seasons since the takeover. Interestingly, they are now being linked with an established Brazilian international, who could be on the move soon.
As reported by Renan Moura, Chelsea are interested in Lucas Paqueta and could open up competition with Flamengo still in this winter window. It might take around €40 million to make a move happen.
Chelsea linked with Brazilian international as Liam Rosenior's first signing
Paqueta is 28 years of age. He has made 61 appearances for the Brazilian national team. At club level, he has represented the likes of AC Milan, Lyon and now, West Ham United.
That is the kind of experience that Chelsea have missing at the moment. Would he be an upgrade in terms of quality though?
Of course, Cole Palmer is the starter in that number 10 role, unless Rosenior has other plans. Facundo Buonanotte is the backup option there. Do Chelsea need to spend a significant transfer fee for that role when there are more pressing needs elsewhere on the pitch?