A look at what Chelsea should do in the latter stages of the 2024 January transfer window with the west Londoners yet to make a move in terms of incomings this month
Chelsea have spent over £1billion since Todd Boehly bought the club from Roman Abramovich in May 2022, but it still feels like they are a couple of transfers away from taking it to the next level. The Blues are yet to sign anyone as we approach the conclusion of the January transfer window.
It has been a very quiet month in terms of transfer business for clubs in the Premier League due to the Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) being apparently breached by Everton and Nottingham Forest. Everton have already had one 10-point deduction and have since been charged again, alongside Forest.
While the punishment has not been made clear yet, there is concern for both clubs that they could face a points deduction. It has put the rest of the Premier League on red alert and a lot of clubs are being very cautious this month when it comes to spending money on new players.
It has been an uncharacteristically slow January window for Chelsea, who have sanctioned a few outgoings on loan but are yet to add another player to Mauricio Pochettino's squad. The Blues have been scouring the transfer market to see what can be done this month but with just over 10 days remaining before the window slams shut, time is running out for Chelsea.
A striker remains high on the agenda, with Victor Osimhen and Ivan Toney both on the club's radar. However, both would be really expensive. Osimhen would cost north of £100million, while Brentford have reportedly whacked a £100million price-tag on Toney.
Also, signing one of them this month seems virtually impossible. They are both situations Chelsea are expected to revisit in the summer transfer window, where deals are a lot easier to do for a number of reasons.
Saying this, though, football.london understands a short-term option is viable for Chelsea. Karim Benzema has been strongly linked with a move back to Europe over the past week or so with reports claiming he is unhappy in the Saudi Pro League.
The 36-year-old striker arrived in Saudi Arabia, signing for Al-Ittihad, in the summer transfer window after ending his 14-year stay at Real Madrid. There are reports, though, that Benzema wishes to return to Europe to play out the rest of his career - and the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal have been named as possible destinations for the Frenchman.
Benzema's astronomical wages are a problem, though, meaning a six-month loan deal, where Al-Ittihad pay a large portion of his salary, could be the most sensible option for Chelsea. With way over 350 goals in professional football, Benzema is absolutely deadly in the box and could be a solution, albeit a short-term one until Chelsea can revisit other targets in the summer, to some of their problems in attacking positions.
The other position on the agenda for Chelsea is the centre of defence. Trevoh Chalobah has been told he can leave the club this month should the right offer come in for the 24-year-old defender.
Chalobah came close to joining Bayern Munich in the summer transfer window and has not played for Chelsea this season because of injury. The Cobham graduate can be sold for pure profit because of his former academy status at the club. Fulham are the latest club to register an interest in Chalobah.
Thiago Silva sees his current deal at the club expire at the end of the season and there have been no talks yet over an extension to the 39-year-old's contract. Chelsea need to sign a centre-back and have been scanning over Europe this season to find the right one.
Ousmane Diomande is a real option for the Blues, although any deal for the Sporting CP centre-back is likely to happen in the summer. The 20-year-old has a £69million release clause in his contract at the Estadio Jose Alvalade and Sporting have said if anyone wants to sign him in January, then this must be triggered.
Chelsea are of course reluctant to pay such a fee, particularly with the PSR stuff happening at the moment. So a move in the summer seems more feasible when Chelsea will have more time to persuade Sporting to drop their asking price and the Portuguese club, in turn, will have more time to find a replacement for their talented defender.
In terms of outgoings, the future of Conor Gallagher still remains up in the air. Tottenham have an interest in the England international, although the north Londoners are yet to open talks with the Blues over any deal to sign the midfielder.
Pochettino wants to keep Gallagher, as has been widely reported, and the player himself would ideally like to remain at Stamford Bridge beyond the end of the window. However, as is the case with Chalobah, Gallagher would be pure profit for the club should they sell him after coming through the academy.
It perhaps makes business sense for Chelsea to cash in on Gallagher now to further abide with the PSR. But for footballing reasons, there are not too many arguments to sell the 23-year-old midfielder, who has been the Blues' most consistent in his position since Pochettino took over last summer.
We have just over 10 days remaining and it is eerily quiet. Surely that won't stay the same. Chelsea will do something, won't they?
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