With January fast approaching, Chelsea could be tempted to enter the transfer window to get their season back on track.
Chelsea entered the World Cup break eighth in the Premier League table, and Graham Potter could use his first transfer window as Blues boss to reinforce his squad. N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic have both experienced injury issues throughout the season, injuries to Wesley Fofana, Ben Chilwell and Reece James have left options sparse at the back, and Armando Broja is out for the season, leaving the Blues short of options up top.
Chelsea spent £278.4m in the summer transfer window, and with how the season has gone so far, it won't be a surprise if Todd Boehly grants Potter a decent budget in January to make signings suited to his play style. A host of players including Josko Gvardiol, Rafael Leao, Wilfred Zaha and Alexis Mac Allister have all been linked with the Blues in recent weeks.
READ MORE: Kovacic return, Silva decision: Chelsea changes Graham Potter might make vs Nottingham Forest
So, if Chelsea were to have a transfer budget of £100m in the January transfer window, who could they sign? We used Football Manager 2023 to simulate the January transfer window and find out.
Chelsea's 2023 January transfer window simulated
To complete this simulation, we updated the Chelsea squad with the latest injuries and suspensions, allowing Football Manager 2023 to then decide who the Blues could sign in the 2023 January transfer window. We assigned a £100m budget for Potter's side, and these were the results.
Incomings: £162.1m spent
- Jonathan David (Lille) - £42.5m
- Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona) - £74m
- Moises Caicedo (Brighton and Hove Albion) - £44m
- Silvert Mannsverk (Molde) - £1.6m
Chelsea were the league's biggest spenders in the 2023 January transfer window, spending a combined total of £162.1m on four players. Three of the players arrived in the final two days of the transfer window, including the £74m signing of Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona.
The marquee signing of the transfer window, De Jong has been linked with a move to Chelsea in the past, and with Barcelona dropping out of the Champions League, the Blues took advantage as they won the battle for the Dutchman. De Jong wasn't the only midfielder who arrived, with Brighton and Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo reuniting with his former boss for £44m.
The highly-rated 21-year-old was tipped with a move away from Brighton all summer, and he got his transfer in the simulation as the Blues' midfield was massively strengthened. Young Norwegian midfielder Sivert Mannsverk arrived from Molde for £1.6m, though the 20-year-old was signed as more of a future first-team player than someone to make an instant impact.
The first signing of the window saw an attacker signed by Potter, with Lille striker Jonathan David joining for £42.5m. Like Caicedo, the Canadian has been rumoured to make a move away from Lille for some time, and he was judged as the perfect striker to help the Blues in the simulation.
Outgoings: £61m
- Hakim Ziyech (Borussia Dortmund) - £22m
- Christian Pulisic (Barcelona) - £39m
Chelsea did go well over their £100m budget, but they made up the extra money spent in player sales, generating £61m from two outgoings. After a terrific World Cup campaign, Hakim Ziyech moved away from Stamford Bridge, joining Borussia Dortmund for £22m. Christian Pulisic also departed in January, joining Barcelona on transfer deadline day for £39m.
Chelsea's 2022/23 season results after January transfer window
De Jong was the only player to play regularly under Potter, with David and Caicedo both being rotated regularly with the current members of the squad. Despite spending big on players in January, the Blues couldn't claim a spot in the Premier League top four during the simulation, ending the season in fifth place.
Potter's side finished four points off the Champions League spots, with Chelsea confirming a spot in the Europa League for the following season. A 2-1 loss to Liverpool saw the Blues knocked out of the FA Cup in the semi-finals, whilst a 5-3 aggregate loss to Bayern Munich knocked Chelsea out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals.
Overall, FM23 predicts that Chelsea could spend big in January, targeting their midfield as the position to improve. A January spending spree this big would be warmly welcomed by Blues fans, but if Potter was not able to turn the season around with a large budget, he may find himself under pressure.
Who do you think Chelsea should sign in the January transfer window? Let us know in the comments below!
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