Chelsea urged against signing two Premier League stars, but there is one thing they desperately need
Transfer windows have been pure chaos for Chelsea in recent years, so it’s no surprise that fans and pundits are hoping for a quiet winter. The Blues have broken record after record since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital purchased the club, whether that be spending in a single window, or the British record transfer fee with Enzo Fernandez and then Moises Caicedo. Caicedo and Fernandez both arrived at Chelsea on British record transfers, but this window could be far quieterGetty Things have slowed down slightly in 2024, and although more than £200million was spent in the summer, somewhat of a settled first eleven now seems to be emerging. Despite that, and given Chelsea’s recent history of splurges, numerous names are still being linked with a Stamford Bridge switch, including two of the best from the Premier League. Newcastle’s Alexander Isak is reportedly attracting yet another offer above the £100m mark, while Palace defender and former Chelsea kid Marc Guehi could follow the Romelu Lukaku route and return to west London. The two players were discussed on talkSPORT show Inside Chelsea, but both got a no from the panel. In Isak’s case, it’s because of what’s already there, with Nicolas Jackson earning praise for a key reason. Host Kweku Afari explained: “I’ve seen so many big name strikers over the years fail at Chelsea, the ones who have succeeded have shared a common thread. “It’s their mentality, they have that dog in them and that fight, and I see that in Jackson. “I really like Isak, but if you’re telling me we have to pay £115m for someone that is giving you the same output as Jackson, I wouldn’t go and spend that money.” Former Chelsea defender Jason Cundy was in agreement adding: “The problem you have with Isak is the wages and the fee, that then leaves you with a problem on the Saturday of who do you start? “Jackson has been allowed to develop in a team that’s still in its infancy with unprecedented change on and off the pitch, he’s coming through and showing the quality, so you’d have to disappoint either Jackson or Isak. Jackson is winning over more and more Chelsea fans each week “I’m glad we didn’t go for Victor Osimhen in the summer because we wouldn’t be seeing these numbers from Jackson. “We’re at a point now where it’s about improving the team, not the squad, and if you do that it’s a bit of a risk because Jackson’s doing well. “There is a case to be made over whether we need a back-up as Christopher Nkunku isn’t that back-up, but because Jackson is so young, how do you back him up? You’d need someone who’s going to go over him, but who is that player?” With the question solved up front, the next one is at the back, but Guehi could also be out of luck when it comes to a Stamford Bridge return. Discussing the highly-rated Crystal Palace captain and England regular, Matisse said: “I don’t think I’d want him back. “Right now the problem is Chelsea have too many centre backs. We’ve signed too many in the past few windows and they either have to sell those first before incomings or start to trust them and build around them. Chelsea’s centre back situation caused plenty of debate “For me with Guehi, the issue is the price, he was linked with Newcastle in the summer for a high price that we don’t need to pay. “I think his signing would depend on Wesley Fofana who was signed for £80m, he has the potential to play for France and be a top centre back, and until we have a conclusion on him and his ability to get over injuries I don’t think we can look at Guehi.” Afari concurred, looking at Chelsea’s top four rivals as an example. He explained: “Guehi, Levi Colwill, Benoit Badiashile, Fofana, they give me ‘B centre back’ vibes. “If you look at Arsenal or Liverpool, the centre backs I’ve named are more [Ibrahima] Konate and Gabriel than they are [William] Saliba and [Virgil] van Dijk who make those defences so formidable. “Unless you’re going to bring in someone like that, which I think Guehi isn’t, then I don’t think there’s any point bringing in another defender when you need to trim the squad. “If Chelsea were to bring in a centre back they need to bring in someone dominant who’s going to control the back line, I don’t think that any of the players we’ve been linked to or any of the players in the squad are that. “Fofana might be that, Colwill might develop into that, but until I can identify one of those players like Van Dijk I don’t want to bring anybody in.” So there you have it, Boehly and Co, no snap decisions in January unless it’s someone exceptional, especially up front and in defence. However, in goal is a whole other issue, particularly with Robert Sanchez failing to impress. Assessing the problem in goal Matisse said it’s the one problem he would like to see addressed sooner rather than later. “If we’re not going to give Filip Jor
Transfer windows have been pure chaos for Chelsea in recent years, so it’s no surprise that fans and pundits are hoping for a quiet winter.
The Blues have broken record after record since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital purchased the club, whether that be spending in a single window, or the British record transfer fee with Enzo Fernandez and then Moises Caicedo.
Things have slowed down slightly in 2024, and although more than £200million was spent in the summer, somewhat of a settled first eleven now seems to be emerging.
Despite that, and given Chelsea’s recent history of splurges, numerous names are still being linked with a Stamford Bridge switch, including two of the best from the Premier League.
Newcastle’s Alexander Isak is reportedly attracting yet another offer above the £100m mark, while Palace defender and former Chelsea kid Marc Guehi could follow the Romelu Lukaku route and return to west London.
The two players were discussed on talkSPORT show Inside Chelsea, but both got a no from the panel.
In Isak’s case, it’s because of what’s already there, with Nicolas Jackson earning praise for a key reason.
Host Kweku Afari explained: “I’ve seen so many big name strikers over the years fail at Chelsea, the ones who have succeeded have shared a common thread.
“It’s their mentality, they have that dog in them and that fight, and I see that in Jackson.
“I really like Isak, but if you’re telling me we have to pay £115m for someone that is giving you the same output as Jackson, I wouldn’t go and spend that money.”
Former Chelsea defender Jason Cundy was in agreement adding: “The problem you have with Isak is the wages and the fee, that then leaves you with a problem on the Saturday of who do you start?
“Jackson has been allowed to develop in a team that’s still in its infancy with unprecedented change on and off the pitch, he’s coming through and showing the quality, so you’d have to disappoint either Jackson or Isak.
“I’m glad we didn’t go for Victor Osimhen in the summer because we wouldn’t be seeing these numbers from Jackson.
“We’re at a point now where it’s about improving the team, not the squad, and if you do that it’s a bit of a risk because Jackson’s doing well.
“There is a case to be made over whether we need a back-up as Christopher Nkunku isn’t that back-up, but because Jackson is so young, how do you back him up? You’d need someone who’s going to go over him, but who is that player?”
With the question solved up front, the next one is at the back, but Guehi could also be out of luck when it comes to a Stamford Bridge return.
Discussing the highly-rated Crystal Palace captain and England regular, Matisse said: “I don’t think I’d want him back.
“Right now the problem is Chelsea have too many centre backs. We’ve signed too many in the past few windows and they either have to sell those first before incomings or start to trust them and build around them.
“For me with Guehi, the issue is the price, he was linked with Newcastle in the summer for a high price that we don’t need to pay.
“I think his signing would depend on Wesley Fofana who was signed for £80m, he has the potential to play for France and be a top centre back, and until we have a conclusion on him and his ability to get over injuries I don’t think we can look at Guehi.”
Afari concurred, looking at Chelsea’s top four rivals as an example.
He explained: “Guehi, Levi Colwill, Benoit Badiashile, Fofana, they give me ‘B centre back’ vibes.
“If you look at Arsenal or Liverpool, the centre backs I’ve named are more [Ibrahima] Konate and Gabriel than they are [William] Saliba and [Virgil] van Dijk who make those defences so formidable.
“Unless you’re going to bring in someone like that, which I think Guehi isn’t, then I don’t think there’s any point bringing in another defender when you need to trim the squad.
“If Chelsea were to bring in a centre back they need to bring in someone dominant who’s going to control the back line, I don’t think that any of the players we’ve been linked to or any of the players in the squad are that.
“Fofana might be that, Colwill might develop into that, but until I can identify one of those players like Van Dijk I don’t want to bring anybody in.”
So there you have it, Boehly and Co, no snap decisions in January unless it’s someone exceptional, especially up front and in defence.
However, in goal is a whole other issue, particularly with Robert Sanchez failing to impress.
Assessing the problem in goal Matisse said it’s the one problem he would like to see addressed sooner rather than later.
“If we’re not going to give Filip Jorgensen an opportunity in the Premier League we need to start looking at our options,” he began.
“This is the one position that I really feel like Chelsea have had a high quality over the years and if they want to go to the next level it needs to be rectified.
“Can you do that in January? Probably not.”
Cundy added: “I think the business is done, but I take the point that most fans look at the goalkeeping situation and think, ‘Is it alright right now?’ But I think what we’ve got is probably what we’re going to get, but we’ll probably see the squad trimmed.”
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