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Chelsea's transfer embargo has been halved. This implies that the Blues are free to make signings in the winter. Before their transfer ban was lifted, the team solemnly depended on the academic players, who impressed for some time but fell short afterward.
The inability of the young players to deliver against the top teams in the Premier League is a major concern for the Blues. They lost twice to Manchester United and Liverpool and were also defeated by Manchester City. The only two teams left in the top-six who are yet to play Chelsea are Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal. Expectations are that they'll also pick points off them.
A bigger task awaits in Europe. The Blues were recently drawn with German champions, Bayern Munich in the Round of 16 of the Champions League. There isn't much confidence at Stamford Bridge at the moment. The club has failed to impress in recent games. They claimed just a victory in their last five fixtures.
As it stands, for Frank Lampard's men to retain their top-four position and also have a chance of edging past the Bavarians in the Champions League, they need to sign new players in January. This piece is going to consider three players the Pensioners can sign in order to get the team firing once again:
#1 Ben Chilwell
Ben Chilwell is one the hottest guns in the Premier League at the moment. The Leicester City defender has been in impressive form this campaign, scoring once and providing three assists in 12 league appearances.
Neither Emerson Palmieri nor Marcos Alonso has been able to convince Frank Lampard this season. Despite the manager’s impressive policy of injecting the youth system into the first team, sometimes, he is forced to deploy Cesar Azpilicueta as a left-back with Recce James coming in to play at the right.
Chilwell will be a great addition to Chelsea. He is currently regarded as one of the best left-backs in the league. He has 62% tackle success, with 102 interceptions, 235 clearances and 463 ball recoveries - far more than the aforementioned Alonso and Emerson have managed this season.
#2 Jadon Sancho
The 19-year-old winger remains a huge revelation in the Bundesliga since he left Manchester United for Borussia Dortmund. Recently, Jadon Sancho broke a 51-year-old Bundesliga record by becoming the youngest player to score 22 league goals.
With Chelsea's veterans Willian and Pedro out of contract at the end of this summer, there will be a lot of space for him to fill at Stamford Bridge, considering the fact that both wingers are also past their peaks.
Moreover, having Jadon Sancho in the team would improve Chelsea's performance and also increase their chances of scoring more goals as he was rated second on the list of players with the most assists in Europe last season.
It is understood that both Manchester clubs are hoping to sign him but the Blues also have a great chance to attract him to London. Lampard’s youth policy at Chelsea will help him become a better player - seeing the likes of Tammy Abraham, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Mason Mount playing regularly for the team.
#3 Wilfried Ndidi
There is a reason why many of the top clubs in England are monitoring the exploits of Wilfried Ndidi. The defensive midfielder is rated the second best tackler in the Premier League this season. He has made 72 successful tackles and fired in two goals for the foxes so far.
Brendan Rodgers' men have become a formidable pressing team, allowing fewer opposition players to pass through the midfield, all thanks to the Nigeria-born defensive midfielder. The likes of James Maddison and Youri Tielemans are allowed to use the ball freely without panic, with the assurance that Wilfried is always ready to break down the opposition attacking runs.
Since Chelsea signed Jorginho, N’Golo Kante has been given a more advanced role; with Jorginho taking the deeper role in the middle of the park. That leaves some space behind, in the defensive midfield.
Jorginho lacks behind when it comes to making vital tackles and interceptions, hence, affording opponents the chance to penetrate and cause havoc to the Chelsea's defensive line. Ndidi can help to cover the loop-hole by making tackles and breaking down passes to nullify the opposition’s attack.
