Despite over £500million being spent by Todd Boehly in the past two transfer windows, it still feels like Chelsea are a couple of key players away - at least - from challenging their rivals on all fronts.
The Blues are undoubtedly lacking a clinical goal scorer at the moment despite plenty of money being invested into their attacking options. Joao Felix was brought in but the Portuguese international is perhaps more of a creative player than an out-and-out No.9.
Noni Madueke and Mykhailo Mudryk were also signed, but it is clear the two wingers are going to need time to settle in at Stamford Bridge. The future of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang looks to be away from west London, despite the Gabonese forward making a rare appearance in the second-half of the defeat to Tottenham at the weekend.
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The midfield is another area Chelsea will surely look at improving at the end of the season. The club signed Enzo Fernandez for a British record transfer fee on deadline day in January but there is still a search for a new central midfielder going on ahead of the summer window.
Declan Rice remains a long-term target for Chelsea, but football.london understands Arsenal have done more groundwork than their London rivals for the West Ham United captain. The Blues are still expected to be in the conversation when it comes to their former academy player but the competition is set to be fierce, as there is a feeling the Hammers may be more open to selling this summer.
There are other targets, too, with Ajax's Edson Alvarez also someone the club are looking at and have been for some time. However, the centre of defence is also somewhere Chelsea should be looking to strengthen in the summer.
This might seem strange because Chelsea have five natural centre-backs to choose from, although Thiago Silva is now expected to be sidelined for around six weeks after the club confirmed the 38-year-old damaged ligaments in his knee in the first-half against Spurs on Sunday.
Silva is approaching 40 but the Brazilian remains one of the best in his position in the Premier League and his consistent performances for Chelsea means he is perhaps the most significant defender Graham Potter has at his disposal. The former Paris Saint-Germain centre-back has played more minutes – with 2,287 – than anyone else in the Chelsea squad so far this season.
When they can, Chelsea have tried to manage Silva's minutes but injuries to the likes of Wesley Fofana has impacted this. Unfortunately, an injury to Silva was somewhat inevitable given his age and minutes played. football.london looks at Chelsea's current centre-back situation and assesses what might happen in the summer...
Chalobah's uncertainty
Trevoh Chalobah has played just 19 times in all competitions for Chelsea this season despite being named in the squad on 31 occasions. The 23-year-old was the subject of plenty of interest in the summer and January transfer windows but he ended up staying at Stamford Bridge, with the club simply unwilling to lose him this season.
Chalobah has another five years remaining on his contract, so that isn't the issue, but the Cobham graduate could look for a move away from Stamford Bridge at the end of the season. He clearly isn't the most significant of figures in Potter's squad and with the competition in the centre of defence, it will be extremely difficult for him to win his place back.
There has been plenty of interest from abroad, in Italy and Germany especially, as well as in the Premier League, for Chalobah. The defender's deal doesn't expire until 2028 so Chelsea can ask for a hefty fee should they look to sell Chalobah in the summer.
Fofana's injury concerns
Fofana has recently returned from a long-term injury that has restricted to him to just 423 minutes of first-team football since signing for Chelsea for big money in the summer. The 22-year-old was signed as someone for the future but also a player that could come in and make an immediate difference to the side's defensive problems.
Now that Silva is injured, it is likely Potter will call on Fofana to take his slot at right centre-back. It's an area where Chelsea don't have too many options, with Fofana and Chalobah being the only ones, really, so the Frenchman faces a big end to the season on a personal level. He needs to prove that he is the right man to act as a long-term replacement to the brilliant Silva.
Fofana has all the tools to become a world-class central defender in the future. He has everything a modern day centre-back needs; speed, composure on the ball, physicality and an eye for a pass. His £70m price-tag raised plenty of eyebrows in the summer but if the Frenchman turns out as good as Chelsea think and hope he will, then that will seem like an absolute bargain.
Koulibaly's rough start
There were high expectations when Chelsea signed Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli last year. Brought in for just shy of £34million, the Blues had seemingly picked up one of the strongest defenders around for a relatively modest fee.
But seven months on from signing, it hasn't been the start to life in the Premier League that Koulibaly would've dreamed of. The 31-year-old has played the fifth-most amount of minutes – with 1,855 – in the whole Chelsea squad. Potter, though, has shown during this calendar year that his trust in the Senegal international may have faded somewhat.
Saying that, the former Napoli man has been chosen from the start in each of Chelsea's last three games. He played really well against Borussia Dortmund but then struggled in defeats to Southampton and Tottenham. Potter's gamble by bringing him back into the side hasn't paid off so far and he could look to try something different at the weekend against Leeds United.
Koulibaly, despite being at Chelsea for less than a year, has already been linked with a move away from the club. He will have no shortage of interested parties given his reputation – which remains high despite his struggles – and it could be something Chelsea look at when the summer is here.
Promising Badiashile
Benoit Badiashile was signed from AS Monaco in the January transfer window with the 21-year-old very much viewed as one for the future. The Frenchman, however, has already made five appearances for his new club, with three of them being clean sheets alongside Silva.
Badiashile plays on the left-hand side of a centre-back partnership so he is not someone who is deemed as a long-term alternative to Silva. But the early signs from the former Monaco star are really promising and he looks like someone who could be a mainstay in the Chelsea defence for years to come, should his development stay on its current path.
The French defender, though, has not appeared for Chelsea since the 1-1 draw with West Ham last month, with Koulibaly recently coming back into favour. But there are still expected to be plenty of chances for Badiashile between now and the end of the season. Both he and Koulibaly are very strong options for the left centre-back role.
Colwill situation
Another option for the left centre-back slot is Levi Colwill. The 20-year-old is currently on a season-long loan deal with Brighton & Hove Albion. Colwill is out injured at the moment but before picking up the problem, the Chelsea loanee was receiving plenty of plaudits for his mature performances in an impressive Seagulls side.
football.london understands Chelsea have been keeping a really close eye on the Cobham graduate's progress this season and have been very impressed with what they have witnessed. It's difficult for the loanee, though, because of the extortionate money Boehly is willing to spend in the transfer market.
Colwill's situation will be assessed when he returns to the club in the summer. It is of course dependant on transfer activity whether he stays next season or not.
Gvardiol remains a target
Chelsea retain an interest in RB Leipzig's Josko Gvardiol. The Croatian plays as a left centre-back for the German club, so if the Blues did make a move for the 21-year-old, then again it wouldn't be as a long-term replacement for Silva.
Gvardiol recently admitted that he dreams of playing Premier League football one day, but there are other clubs from England – including Manchester City – who are keeping a close eye on his situation. The Croatia international would not come cheap and Chelsea are aware of that, meaning their interest in his services cooled somewhat last summer.
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