The January transfer window has come and gone, and while Chelsea could have done with a few additions, namely in the fullback role, the Premier League giants opted against signing any player during the winter.
Ben Chilwell has been ruled out for the remainder of the season while Reece James, who has been nothing short of stellar for the club since Tuchel arrived, has been in and out of the sidelines frequently. While the Blues attempted to replace the void left by the former Leicester left-back, it was an in-house solution, with the London giants trying – and failing – to call back Emerson Palmieri from loan at Lyon.
Additionally, the club passed on the option to sign Lucas Digne from Everton, with the Frenchman joining Aston Villa instead. This left a few fans perplexed as the team remain in the race for the UEFA Champions League crown, which they won last year, while still being in both cup competitions – they are through to the Carabao Cup final and the FA Cup 4th round.
According to the Athletic, this was all part of the club's long-term strategy. Thomas Tuchel did not push for any January signings as Chelsea have their eyes set on a few marquee additions that can only realistically be achieved in the summer window.
Three names have been mentioned, and they are three exciting names, as Jules Kounde, Declan Rice, and Aurelien Tchouameni are all wanted by the German boss. None of them would come cheap, with the Sevilla center-back boasting a $101M release clause (£75M) while the aforementioned West Ham and Monaco midfielders are valued at $135M (£100M) and $112M (£83M) respectively.
If the London giants were to pursue all three targets, then that could amount to a combined fee of roughly $348M (£258M). As a result, this handed the Blues two options: make temporary signings now and risk eating away at their budget or save money in order to spend big in the summer. Chelsea chose the latter.
The Premier League title race appears done for Mount and Co. regardless, with first-placed Man City sitting 10 points ahead with a game in hand. However, should Tuchel land those three aforementioned talents, then Chelsea will be the team to beat next season.
