Three players Chelsea must sign once the transfer window reopens in January
Chelsea have already kicked off their Premier League campaign in an authoritative manner under new manager Maurizio Sarri. The former Napoli boss brought in Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho as midfield reinforcements and his new signings haven’t disappointed him.
While Jorginho has played the role of a deep-lying playmaker and has successfully dictated the tempo of the midfield with his elegance and range of passing, Kovacic has announced himself in a more advanced role, making tackles, winning possession and playing through balls.
However, Sarri still has a few areas to work on if he intends to challenge Manchester City and Liverpool for the crown.
The Blues haven’t looked like a solid unit at the back, with David Luiz terribly out of touch. The Brazilian has found it difficult to mark the opposition’s attackers and seems to have little understanding with Antonio Rudiger at the heart of the defence.
On the other hand, Alvaro Morata had a poor outing against Newcastle United despite scoring against Arsenal. The Spaniard hasn’t been able to deliver constantly with goals which should force Sarri to think about a possible replacement.
Here are three players Chelsea could sign in January.
1. Ousmane Dembele
Chelsea have managed to retain Eden Hazard this summer but it could be difficult to shield the prolific Belgian from potential suitors in the near future.
Ousmane Dembele moved to Barcelona in 2017, following a fantastic season with Borussia Dortmund. However, the 21-year-old Frenchman hasn’t been able to replicate his wonders at Camp Nou. To make matters worse, Barcelona signed Malcom from Serie A club AS Roma, thus pushing Dembele further down the pecking order.
Hence, Dembele would be the ideal long-term replacement for Hazard with his pace, agility and trickery down the sides. A composed finisher, he can not only create chances but is equally adept at putting them away.
2. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic
Chelsea have struck gold by signing Mateo Kovacic but Real Madrid might not allow him to stay at Stamford Bridge beyond one season.
At 23, Serbia’s Sergej Milinkovic-Savic looks destined to become one of the best midfielders in the coming years. In fact, he is the perfect description of a complete midfielder.
The Serbian not only has the vision and guile of a playmaker but also has the positioning awareness and physicality of a defensive midfielder. He has a remarkable eye for the goal and a good range of passing. The 23-year-old looks comfortable with the ball at his feet and has a lot of tricks up his sleeves to outfox the opposition players. Milinkovic-Savic is also strong in the air, making him a target man during set-piece situations.
Milinkovic-Savic is rated at a staggering £100million, however, and it will be interesting to see if Chelsea are willing to splash the cash.
3. Niklas Sule
Pairing David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger in central defence does not seem like a good idea at all. Sarri does not have too many other choices, apart from Andreas Christensen and Gary Cahill. While the former is a promising option, the latter seems to have slowed down a bit with age taking a toll on his body.
Bayern Munich’s Niklas Sule should be the perfect option for Chelsea. The 22-year-old centre-back has improved tremendously over the years and is now a regular starter for Bayern Munich. He also featured in Germany’s World Cup squad.
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At 22, Sule still has his best years ahead of him and could prove to be a long-term solution for Chelsea, along with Rudiger. The duo has played together, meaning they should be able to form a healthy understanding at Stamford Bridge as well.
