Chelsea face a major decision at the end of the season, with plans being drawn up for which steps the current regime should take to strengthen the squad. Over £500m in transfer fees have already been spent by the Boehly-Clearlake ownership, though the investment is yet to bear fruit.
The side currently sit tenth in the Premier League and are in need of some uplift in form, with a clearer view as to where the project is going on the field. Pressure has mounted on manager Graham Potter, who has a task on his hands to find his best team first and foremost.
“There are challenges when you’ve got that many players,” Potter said last month on the size of his squad. “There are challenges in terms of what role they play because most players want to play. They want to play, be on the pitch and help the team. When they are not, it is a challenge and it is a challenge for lots of reasons at this football club."
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While the more immediate challenge is to earn results, the plan for next season will also be on the mind of those at the top. There will likely be a focus on moving on players that don't have a future at the club, but that's not to say there won't be further additions to strengthen areas.
One of those could be up front, with the need for a striker being quite clear after a baron spell in front of goal. Loan star Joao Felix could be an option on a permanent deal, though it could be one that costs into the hundreds of millions to land him from Atletico Madrid.
There could in fact be a far cheaper option in Liverpool's Roberto Firmino, as the Liverpool Echo understand that the striker has decided to seek a fresh challenge and will walk away after a decorated spell that has seen him win seven trophies that include every top-level trophy available to the the Reds. It remains to be seen exactly where the Brazilian will end up, but he often operates in the spaces that Felix enjoys roaming in, with the quality to match.
There are questions over his goal scoring during his time in Merseyside, though he could find the back of the net, he would often facilitate the dangerous wide players doing just that. Similar could be replicated at Stamford Bridge and for a fraction of the price it would cost to bring Felix back.
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