Does Chelsea Have January Needs?

The Premier League season is only just underway, but already teams are looking at strengths and weaknesses and wondering how they might improve. In a way this is almost disappointing given that it distracts from the early action of the matches. True supporters know that the action off the pitch is as important and sometimes even as exciting as what’s happening in the matches.

Right now it’s a little bit early to know what transfers are likely to occur this coming January. There will always be rumors of course, and the markets for transfer specials will be opening up in due time with actual odds-on predictions. Before we know it, we’ll be talking about actual news in this regard. In the meantime however we want to take a very early look at some of the areas in which the Blues might look to upgrade midseason.

Back Line

Truth be told, things have gone rather well for Chelsea thus far, and choosing any area of weakness feels like nitpicking. That said, if there is a weakness – broadly speaking – it has to be the back line. For his part, ex-Gunner and football pundit Paul Merson has identified the back four as a reason not to consider the Blues genuine title contenders. That may be somewhat harsh, particularly so early in the season, but Merson isn’t necessarily wrong in pointing out that Alonso can be a little less than dependable, nor when he theorizes that David Luiz might do better in a back three. These are issues that can be solved internally, but it’s certainly conceivable that Chelsea chases experienced back line help in January.

Midfield Depth

The Chelsea midfield is in fine shape for the most part, though it’s beginning to appear as if the depth may not be what Blues supporters hoped. In particular, Ruben Loftus-Cheek needs to come along for the midfield to have the backup support it ought to. Following a loan to Crystal Palace, he was thought to be a valuable internal addition for this season. So far however he’s struggled to earn his way to meaningful minutes. It’s far too early to write off Loftus-Cheek, but a little bit of affordable midfield help in January shouldn’t be ruled out.

Goalkeeping

Realistically speaking, this is ludicrous. Following the unfortunate departure of Courtois, Chelsea paid Kepa Arrizabalaga an astronomical sum to be the keeper of the present and future. However, there are legitimate questions about whether the contract was worth it, and it’s at least conceivable that goalkeeper could become a volatile position if Arrizabalaga isn’t very good. So far so good, but he’ll need to be about the best keeper in the league to keep supporters happy with the contract he was given. Even so, that only means a potential move could be worked out in the future if things go poorly. For January, any keeper brought in would be viewed strictly as a backup.