Todd Boehly might have been scarred by the pitfalls of a frantic summer window, seeing two major deals for Raphinha and Jules Kounde slip through Chelsea's fingers in a very public fashion. In the case of Raphinha, the lack of groundwork done in the months before the window opened hurt Chelsea's case due to the transfer restrictions placed on the club.
As news has broken over a reported pre-contract agreement for highly-admired RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku, the Blues' search for attacking output goes on. Although Graham Potter will be hoping to see his current batch of attackers improve, the swift action to secure Nkunku only adds to the club's lofty expenditure in an underperforming area since 2019.
Whether Nkunku, who scored 35 goals in 52 appearances last term and is already on eight goals in 12 games this season, can fare a bit better than Timo Werner is a question for another day. The bigger reflection from this news only further exposes the lack of attention to central midfield, an arguably more pressing area in the current squad.
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Conor Gallagher's shot from the heavens secured Potter's first win as Chelsea boss at Selhurst Park on Saturday, but a negative theme of the match was the lack of bite in central midfield, with both Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho struggling to acclimatise to the speed of the game.
Conversations over Chelsea's midfield, the need for new faces and the flaws of current personnel are not new revelations. But the tiresome nature of these discussions reflects how much time has passed since Chelsea have significantly invested in such a defining area.
Although you can point to two deadline-day loan signings in Saul Niguez and Denis Zakaria across the last two summer windows, the sheer amount spent in attack feels like an oversight as midfield has suffered its issues in fatigue, injury and form since 2018.
Potter has seemingly asked Jorginho to press a lot higher than Tuchel did, sometimes advancing beyond Mason Mount and Kai Havertz on Saturday in order to maintain pressure on a well-organised Crystal Palace side. Although pressing is a collective effort, Jorginho's lack of speed and ability to cover large areas of the pitch makes this a delicate balancing act.
On a number of occasions, Palace gained joy in playing around the Blues press, finding space between the defence and midfield, an area that became consistently vulnerable during Frank Lampard's tenure but was tightened under Tuchel in a 3-4-2-1. That balance issue is one Potter's previous two predecessors have found tricky to navigate with Jorginho.
The protection needed around him can gain you a valuable passer in a team that demands control but might lose you the attacking impetus that caused Tuchel's forward line to look bland on occasion. Potter is clearly happy to take more risks but with that comes the fear of being hit in transition.
Kovacic was one of the club's best performers in 2021/22 but has looked well-off his best so far this season, likely influenced by injury issues that plagued any pre-season preparations and meant his first league start did not come until the sixth Premier League game against West Ham in late August.
Kovacic's game was well-streamlined by Tuchel but the Croatian can lack direction on the ball, with his superb dribbling technique often leading him down blind alleys and on ineffective runs that do not alter the state of the game that drastically. Jorginho and Kovacic have started both of Potter's two games, they clearly offer him attributes he requires, but it is hard to argue their current form should not prompt concern.
Add to that the seemingly never-ending injury issues of N'Golo Kante, and it is obvious that the need for a revamp has gone on for far too long.
Ajax's Edson Alvarez became a surprise target in the closing hours of the transfer window, one who could re-emerge in January given the contractual concerns over Kante and Jorghinho, who are both in the final years of their deals.
There are internal solutions, be that Zakaria or using Trevoh Chalobah in a deeper midfield role, something Potter did in a behind-closed-doors friendly over the international break. Summer signing Carney Chukwuemeka - yet to feature in any capacity, having signed from Aston Villa in August - has previously operated in a double-six role.
Once Ruben Loftus-Cheek came on in the second half for Jorginho at Selhurst Park, Chelsea's midfield looked slightly more assured, helping to gain the control that eventually led to Gallagher's wonder strike from the edge of the Palace box.
Potter might find use in fresh faces, but a problem that began long before he arrived cannot be ignored for much longer. If any pre-contract agreements needed to be signed, it probably should have been for a more mobile defensive midfielder.
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