Gary Neville insists Chelsea need signings i6n three crucial areas of the pitch that would help them finish in the top four.
Mauricio Pochettino has finally managed to steady the Chelsea ship after a rocky start to their season. Still, the Blues have yet to manage a big victory to show their top-four credentials, but the performance against Arsenal showed they can stand head-to-head with the big boys.
The club have struggled for relevance on the pitch since the Todd Boehly-led takeover 18 months ago. Last season, they finished outside of the top ten, and after a bad start to the current campaign, they were tipped to have a similar season.
However, Pochettino has turned things around following three successive wins in all competitions and that draw against Arsenal. However, Chelsea have come under scrutiny for their late leakage of goals against the Gunners, considering they were two goals to the good until the 76th minute.
A Robert Sanchez mistake allowed Declan Rice to equalise, while Bukayo Saka, after a timid display, proved his worth with a brilliant assist for Leandro Trossard’s equaliser. Chelsea certainly does not have the mentality to match that of the Gunners in the current phase, which may cost them a top-four place when the season ends.
Gary Neville has named 3 problems Chelsea still have despite branding Mauricio Pochettino a “top coach”- he believes one of the problems is centre back and who plays if Thiago Silva is not there. #CFC https://t.co/o3qSvyLBE1
— Pys (@CFCPys) October 22, 2023
Manchester United legend Gary Neville, on his Podcast via Team Talk, thinks if Chelsea makes three crucial signings in January, they may boost their top-four hopes. He pinpointed towards a new striker, centre-back and goalkeeper that would help the Blues in their quest.
Neville said, “Chelsea have shown a blueprint of what the future could look like. They’ve still got a problem up front, they haven’t got a striker, and I still think they’ve got a problem with Thiago Silva’s age.”
“He’s so important for them, but he is 39. And then the goalkeeper… Can he [Robert Sanchez] step up to be a good goalkeeper?”
Chelsea are already keen on finding solutions to those problematic areas. They have already earmarked Ousmane Diomande as Thiago Silva’s successor while chasing a host of striker names.
The Blues remain interested in Victor Osimhen ahead of the January window, while there are other names like Dusan Vlahovic and Yousouffa Moukoko on their shortlist. Whether they are able to sign either remains a big question, although there’s also the option of pursuing Ivan Toney, who might be available in January.
Chelsea are also vying for Mike Maignan as a potential goalkeeping target, as Robert Sanchez may not have a long-term future as their undisputed No.1. All those names they remain linked with are difficult targets for January. However, they could revisit these stars next summer.
While Chelsea have surprised many with their range of signings over the last 18 months, there are doubts whether they could pursue their priority targets in January. Todd Boehly has always found his way through paying what’s needed; he might have it his way in January as well if all conditions are right.
