Chelsea have been given a January masterplan if they are to regain form for the second half of the season.
TalkSPORT’s Inside Chelsea panel of Jason Cundy, Kweku Afari and Matisse Hofer have offered their insight on what the Blues need to focus on in January and beyond.
Chelsea had a strong start the Premier League season, sitting between second and third in the table behind leaders Liverpool.
In what is Enzo Maresca’s first season in charge, Chelsea have secured strong wins over Aston Villa and Newcastle, though their last few games has seen them take just two points from four matches.
Despite having a big squad at his disposal, Maresca will look to get some former stars out the door this January, including Ben Chilwell who has fallen out of favour and played just one game; a 5-0 win over Barrow in the League Cup.
It won’t just be departures Chelsea look to secure though, with three key positions identified by the Inside Chelsea panel.
Speaking on Inside Chelsea, Cundy, Afari and Hofer offered their insight on what Maresca’s side need to do in order to find the form that kickstarted the campaign.
What do Chelsea need?
A striker
Nicolas Jackson – who joined from Villarreal in 2023 – has scored nine goals in the top-flight so far this season, but has hit a goal drought since a 2-1 win over Brentford in December.
Christopher Nkunku has been used as a second striker, as well as Spanish youngster Marc Guiu, but neither have been strong enough for many Premier League minutes. Guiu has showed a lot of promise in the Europa Conference League, and Nkunku has started just 14 games this season.
Matisse Hofer on Inside Chelsea said that Nkunku was ‘misprofiled’ when he joined the Blues. “There’s no way we should be relying on Nicolas Jackson who is still young, developing and improving to get us 20 goals a season” Hofer said.
“You gave to also look at the contribution from Pedro Neto and Jadon Sancho” he added, referencing Neto’s one goal in the league and Sancho’s two.
“Nkunku, outside of the Bournemouth winner, he’s not able to start and contribute. Guiu is only 19 and not ready. Outside of [Cole] Palmer there’s no-one getting regular goal output”.
Palmer, whilst on 13 league goals and comfortably shining as Chelsea’s best player, is struggling without a strong striker in front of him. Afari said the side are ‘over reliant’ on Palmer.
“We need a striker giving us goals on a regular basis” he added.
Chelsea may look to sell Nkunku who has lacked game time under Maresca as the France international cannot seem to find his best position or maintain his fitness.
Jason Cundy added that Nkunku is ‘not a number nine’. “He’s not nine and he can’t play ten… He will have to think about his future because Maresca has no place for him”.
Central midfielder
The midfield is one of Chelsea’s most expensive areas, recruiting Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Cole Palmer, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Lesley Ugochukwu, Carney Chukwuemeka, Cesare Casadei and Andrey Santos across the last three years.
With a sum total of Chelsea’s midfield is €453million, though Fernandez, Palmer and Caicedo are the only consistent three amongst them.
Whilst Lavia has struggled with injury, Cundy believes that a central midfielder would be another area to strengthen Chelsea’s squad.
“We are still three players away from having a really good squad, it’s a good squad when everyone’s fit but it gets stretched in the middle of the park”.
Centre-back
Chelsea fans have been well-aware of the need for strength at the back in recent months, with Wesley Fofana out with a hamstring injury and Benoit Badiashile sidelined until February.
Amid reports that Chelsea could recall Crystal Palace loanee Trevor Chalobah, they are also eyeing a move for England international and Palace captain Marc Guehi.
Axel Disasi is another potential departure from the back line, as well as Ben Chilwell. 19-year-old Aaron Anselmino has been recalled from his loan spell at Boca Juniors, although he could be loaned out again once the Blues decide on his future.
Guehi is the main target for Chelsea’s defence at present, although Cundy was insistent that the defence is a weakness.
“The problem we’ve got is that we always concede, at the moment it feels like we need to score two goals to maybe think about taking a point” Cundy said.
Who Chelsea should target?
Liam Delap has been on Chelsea’s radar for a while and Maresca has had plenty of praise for the Ipswich Town forward.
Having scored eight goals in 19 matches, Delap gave Chelsea a torrid time in the Tractor Boys’ 2-0 win over the Blues and is statistically stronger than Jackson when it comes to aerial duels.
Hofer said: “Liam Delap often gets flagged because he tormented us and bullied Tosin [Adarabioyo] and [Axel] Disasi. He’s at the price range Chelsea are hovering at of £30-35m”.
Victor Osimhen has been eyed by Premier League sides Chelsea and Arsenal for a few seasons, but the deal has never got over the line for the Galatasaray loanee. .
Even Chelsea legend John Obi Mikel believes Osimhen could be the answer: “If we had Victor Osimhen or the guy from Sporting, Viktor Gyokeres, trust me, we’d still be competing for the Premier League”.
Samuel Aghehowa was the one that got away for Blues fans. Having agreed a £34m deal for the Porto striker last summer when he was at Atletico Madrid, Chelsea had doubts with an ankle issue during his medical.
The deal collapsed in August 2024 before he then joined Porto where he netted 13 goals in 14 games last season.
Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran, Randal Kolo Muani of PSG and Brighton star Evan Ferguson have also been thrown in the mix for Chelsea, but signing a striker may prove to be a summer job, rather than one which can be tied up in January.
Who needs to go?
Chelsea will look to see a few players out of the door this window, with the club needing to fund new arrivals as well as remaining compliant with PSR rules.
Nkunku will eye more minutes elsewhere and although the former Leipzig star has not yet asked to leave, the opportunity will be there for Chelsea to find a replacement.
Casadei and Chukwuemeka may join them leaving London, as does Chilwell who has not been part of Maresca’s plans since the summer.
Disasi completes the list of potential departures after Fabrizio Romano said there was an option for him to join Juventus discussed.