Final Chelsea squad to face West Ham United revealed.
According to The Athletic (h/t Express), Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has been left frustrated by the lack of any incoming players in the winter transfer window, despite calling for new faces to be added to the squad last month.
The Blues oversaw an extremely quiet transfer window in January, not seeing any incoming activity apart from young striker Mason Burstow from League One side Charlton Athletic, who the club immediately loaned back to his former side till the end of the season.
It is hardly the signing Tuchel hoped for as Chelsea’s first team have gone through a horrible patch of injuries and a Covid outbreak since the end of the previous year. It has seen the team stretched thin and players having to adapt to new roles and positions as Tuchel struggled to put out a full-fit team that could do the job.
Despite Tuchel remaining keen on new signings, Blues chief Marina Granovskaia did not dip into the market and sign a player for the senior team despite the team’s dip in form. In comparison, Tuchel’s predecessor Frank Lampard joined Everton on deadline day and brought in multiple players in 24 hours.
It was no secret that Tuchel was desperate for signings in January, as he oversaw a thin squad that needed reinforcements, especially at the back. First choice wing-backs Ben Chilwell and Reece James saw lengthy spells on the sidelines, with the former being ruled out of the season due to injury. Covid in the squad also saw Andreas Christensen spend a few weeks out of action.
With January passing through without much transfer activity, the pressure will be on in the summer transfer window to deliver on Tuchel’s wish and sign players he can work with to beef up the quality in the squad. Our team looked short in confidence and form through the winter period, and a summer rebuild may be necessary to bring in players who are up to the task.
With Chelsea running deep in multiple competitions, the lack of any incomings in January may prove to be a risk as we eye multiple trophies this month. The FIFA Club World Cup and Carabao Cup are there for our taking in the next few weeks, and we will need all the players ready and fit for these games.
A defensive signing in the winter transfer window should actually have been made a priority, as it would have eased the contract situation surrounding Antonio Rudiger, Cesar Azpilicueta, and Christensen who are set to depart the club in the summer for free if they do not sign a new deal in the coming months. Instead, the club sat tight and did nothing to ease the tension.
The summer will prove to be crucial in more than one way, with Chelsea needing signings to reinforce the side with quality players as well as prove to Tuchel that the club is ready to back him. A disgruntled manager is the last thing the Blues board need while already dealing with players not giving into their proposal for a new contract.
Romelu Lukaku was the only big-name signing made in the summer last year. If we are to compete in every competition and seriously aspire to win them all, we need new faces coming through the doors at Stamford Bridge, providing Tuchel with the right players that he can work with to continue his fine job done at the club so far.
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