Chelsea manager Graham Potter refuses to rule out signings in the January transfer window
Speaking to the media after a 3-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers (h/t Evening Standard), Chelsea manager Graham Potter is currently not focusing on the transfer window but has refused to rule out signings in January.
The Blues have had a lot of injuries in the midfield department. N’Golo Kante has missed almost two months of action, while Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho have had their spells on the injury table.
Moreover, Jorginho and Kante are in the final 12 months of their contract at Stamford Bridge. They can start speaking to foreign clubs from January 1 onwards to sign a pre-contract agreement. There have been no updates about their extension thus far.
Here’s what Potter said when asked about the potential transfers (h/t Evening Standard):
“I’ve not thought about the transfer window. Thanks for reminding me of that! I’ve been busy with three matches in a week, but my answer is always that any club has to be, when the window is open, looking for options and how they can improve. But my job as head coach is to help the players that are here and help them improve.”
Potter is right about not thinking too far ahead himself as the games are coming thick and fast and his concentration would be to prepare his team in the best possible manner. With Christopher Vivell coming in as a technical director soon, there will be background work done on the players that can be signed in the winter.
Out of all the departments, Chelsea could do with a new body in midfield, not as a stop-gap solution, but as a long-term successor to either Jorginho or Kante. They have also been linked with defender Josko Gvardiol and forward Rafael Leao, but whether they would bid for either of them in January remains to be seen.
Having a World Cup break in November and December after a run of games would allow the manager the time to discuss what his current squad lacks and then talk with potential targets during that break, irrespective of whether that player is in Qatar or not. That is probably an advantage of having a month-long break before the January window.
More Chelsea News:
- Fikayo Tomori warns Chelsea about a rejuvenated AC Milan in the reverse Champions League fixture
- Marco van Basten calls it a ‘shame’ that Chelsea star Hakim Ziyech is not playing regularly
- Chelsea could make a move for Cristiano Ronaldo either in January or next summer
However, only time will tell what our strategy is regarding signing more players. It is not uncommon to see a new manager wanting players that they believe will best in their system.
Potter has a talented bunch, but football is fast and it is unforgiving. We need to plan in advance with respect to the future and keep in touch with the teams we think we want to compete with.