Chelsea are going through their worst run of form possibly, and the Premier League points table is a fair reflection of the same with the Blues placed at a jaw-dropping ninth position almost half-way through the season. Chelsea have only amassed 26 points from their opening 17 exchanges in the 2020/21 campaign.
The Stamford Bridge faithful would be utterly disappointed with the way things have panned out so far as a lot more was expected out of a Chelsea side that made seven signings in the summer transfer period. Chelsea finished fourth under Lampard’s first season in charge, and the Blues legend showed great intent in the summer window with the way he went about his business.
However, not everything has gone to plan for the former midfielder turned manager with his side majorly slacking in all departments. Chelsea successfully landed most of their targets in the summer but happened to miss out on a few. The January window could be the ideal time for Frank Lampard & Co. to have another go at those missed targets.
Considering the current situation, some reinforcements are much needed in the squad and will be welcomed by one and all. Here are a couple of players Chelsea should go all guns blazing for with the winter transfer window already operational.
Declan Rice
The 21-year-old English midfielder stayed put at West Ham United in the summer despite heavy media speculation linking him to a cross-town switch to Chelsea. With age being on his side, Rice is seen as the ideal candidate to be leading Chelsea’s midfield in the years to come.
In the current squad, there might be stiff competition for game time with the likes of N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Jorginho, Mason Mount and Billy Gilmour, already competing for a spot. A report by the Mirror, Chelsea have already brainstormed their long term goals and plans with Declan Rice.
It is understood that Chelsea will be offloading a couple of players this month to make way for the arrival of Rice from the Hammers. It will be interesting to see if Chelsea can seal all the relevant deals in time with almost a week over in the winter transfer period.
Boubakary Soumare
Another 21-year-old midfielder on the list is Lille’s Boubakary Soumare. The Frenchman has been linked with the Blues in the past, and it is also understood that the London giants have scouted him in recent years. Boubakary is still young and has a lot to achieve before he becomes a finished product, and the current setup at Chelsea under the tutelage of Frank Lampard could be ideal for the player.
Boubakary is a rather orthodox kind of midfielder who is not vividly creative but possesses brilliant technical abilities along with a good vision for passing. Interestingly, Frank Lampard has even been vocal indirectly about his interests in Boubakary in the past. Lampard has been quoted saying last January –
‘I’m aware of him as a player but he’s not on my radar for this window, to be fair.
‘We played against them [Lille] and I know he’s a good player but that’s one that’s not on the immediate radar, albeit he’s a good player. But he’s another club’s player.’
To spice things up, Chelsea will not be left alone in the race to sign the defensive midfielder with the likes of Manchester United and AC Milan also being linked with the Ligue 1 player.