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It seems the transfer embargo turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Chelsea. Back in summer, when he took over the managerial role from Maurizio Sarri, Frank Lampard had a mammoth task of making Chelsea comptete on all fronts with limited resources. Chelsea had lost their best player in Eden Hazard and a transfer ban meant they couldn't add any new weapons into their armory.
However, his young team silenced all the critics with some fearless football and are up there with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City fighting for the title. The West London side impressed in the Champions League as well. While getting good results, Lampard also made sure there wasn't any compromise on the aesthetic side of the game and gave his supporters plenty to cherish about.
While the ban and a young manager coming in has inadvertently benefited the academy starlets, some of the senior players remain surplus to the requirement at Chelsea. Hence, Lampard's main emphasis in the coming transfer window will be to clear out some deadwood and their massive wage bills as well.
In this article, we focus on 3 Chelsea players who are no more first-team regulars and could fancy a move away from the club January.
3. Pedro Rodriguez
The Spaniard is having a tough time on and off the pitch. He is unable to break into Lampard's matchday squad and also has a breakup issue with his partner to deal with. It seems his days in London are numbered and a switch to a new club could be the last thing he wants to resurrect his career.
Alumni of Barcelona's famous La Masia academy, Pedro has had a illustrious career winning several trophies, including a World cup and three Champions League titles. Although he is well past his prime, his blistering pace coupled with his ability to score goals still makes him a dangerous asset to have in the final third of the pitch.
With Hazard switching to Madrid in the summer, it was thought that Pedro will be playing a key role at Stamford Bridge this season. However, Lampard's preference for youth and a rejuvenated Willian made life difficult for him. It didn't take much for new signing Christian Pulisic to settle in at Chelsea and youth sensation Callum Hudson-Odoi's return from injury also added to his voes.
Pedro had previously expressed his desire to return to Spain one day. Fenerbahce are currently the front runners for his signature. China could also be a possible destination for the former Barca man.
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2. Olivier Giroud
The World Cup winner has featured in just five games for Chelsea this season, four of which have come from substitute's bench. He is also yet to score a goal this season and could be on his way out this winter.
Young Tammy Abraham has been firing in goals for Chelsea, as in the case with Michy Batshuayi whenever called upon. Due to this, Olivier Giroud has been an unused substitute for a lion's share of the season. His ability and talent isn't befitting of a third choice striker and hence an escape route out of Chelsea is his priority this window.
A regular in the French national team, his spot in Deschamps squad could be in jeopardy if he doesn't play regularly at the club level. That could also be a factor prompting him to move on to more greener pastures.
There is news that Antonio Conte is planning for a reunion with his former target man by taking him to Inter. Crystal Palace are also monitoring his situation, as are a number of French clubs including Marseille and Lyon. It's now up to the French man to decide upon his future.
3. Marcos Alonso
The only thing that is keeping Marcos Alonso in Chelsea's first team this season has been Emerson's recurring injury. By substituting him with Reece James against Ajax in the Champions League, Lampard stated that he doesn't count on the Spaniard. So it's highly unlikely he would stay at Chelsea beyond this January.
Signed from Fiorentina in the summer of 2016, Antonio Conte deployed him as a wing-back to great success. Though he has been among the goals and assists, he was always considered a burden in the defensive phase. He never possessed attributes of a natural full-back and his poor work rate hasn't gone well with Lampard either.
Chelsea are already preparing for life after Alonso by monitoring the situation of Leicester City's Ben Chilwell. Azpilicueta's ability to feature as a left-back means Lampard is not short of a backup option for the time being. The Blues' promising young left-back Ian Maatsen made his debut in the Carabao Cup recently and if Lampard decides to involve him more, then its surely curtains for Alonso.
Atletico Madrid showed interest last summer but where put off by his high asking price. Surely, Chelsea want to cash in on the Spaniard and don't expect him to be available for cheap.
