Chelsea were never going to be busy in the January transfer window. Thomas Tuchel didn't need nor want the club to be. The only area that was in need of attention was left wing-back and there was a clear candidate in the mind of the German to fill the void left by Ben Chilwell.
"We are evaluating it and we are looking into this position and yes, bringing back Emerson is one of the options," the Chelsea head coach said at the beginning of January. "We are in talks with the staff and the board and the scouting department, checking possibilities.
"We always do but given the long-term injuries, we are looking into the market and the possibilities. But things have to make sense in terms of the person, the position, and of course the quality."
Tuchel felt Emerson was the best option for several reasons: he had worked with the Italian international last season; he admired the defender's professionalism; there would be no adaptation period; Emerson understood the German coach's tactical structure.
The problem was Chelsea failed to include a recall clause in the loan deal that Emerson agreed with Lyon in the summer. So the Blues suffered the ignominy of offering compensation to the Ligue 1 side of around £3million for the 27-year-old.
Unfortunately for Chelsea, Lyon refused to budge. Emerson is the club's first-choice left-back and has impressed this season. There was little incentive for the club to let him leave, especially after they agreed a £35m deal for Bruno Guimaraes with Newcastle United.
The moment the Blues ended their attempt to reclaim Emerson was the point at which the club's January transfer window was effectively over. There were other options Chelsea could have turned to – Barcelona's Sergino Dest was considered – but there was no hard push made for a signing at left wing-back.
So Marcos Alonso will hold down the role for the remainder of the season. Although when Tuchel switches to a back four, Malang Sarr may continue to get the nod at left-back ahead of the Spaniard. Kenedy, recalled from a loan spell at Flamengo, has also been reincorporated into the first-team fold and is an option the Chelsea head coach may turn to at some stage in the coming weeks.
Tuchel did admit midway through January that reinforcements at right wing-back may be considered with Reece James ruled out through injury, again Dest was an option given his versatility, but the Chelsea academy graduate has made a faster-than-expected recovery and is likely to return to the squad in time for the Club World Cup.
The final few days of Chelsea's transfer window were dominated by speculation that the Blues could make a late attempt to sign Ousmane Dembele from Barcelona.
Tuchel is a huge fan of the France international who he worked with at Borussia Dortmund and admitted he was perplexed by the situation – frozen out with just six months left on his contract – Dembele finds himself at the Camp Nou.
"He's a very good player, and I am very fortunate to have trained him in my time at Dortmund. It was only one year, it should have been longer, but I needed to leave and he decided to leave," Tuchel said prior to the current international break.
"We are not in close contact, we have met here and there because of his duties for the French national team when I was in Paris. We exchanged some messages. I have absolutely no idea why he is in this situation, I don't know the details, so it's better not to talk."
It's understood Chelsea have been closely monitoring Dembele's situation at Barcelona but didn't launch a bid to sign the 24-year-old in the final hours of the transfer window. A move for the Frenchman in the summer when he is a free agent shouldn't be ruled out, although that is likely to be predicated on one or two attackers leaving Stamford Bridge.
It sounds somewhat trite, but the hard work starts now for Chelsea with the window closed. This summer is likely to be a hugely important one for the club given the uncertainty around the futures of several players. So careful thought has to be given as to what steps are taken.
Jorginho and N'Golo Kante, for example, will have just one year remaining on their contracts come to the end of the season and decisions will need to be made on what is next for the Champions League-winning midfielders, both of whom are now 30 years old.
Are they offered new deals? Is one moved on? Do both depart and if so who replaces them? Maybe Declan Rice? Or Aurelien Tchouameni? And is Conor Gallagher incorporated into the midfield set-up?
There is also clarity required as to which of the current centre-backs Tuchel will be able to call upon. As things stand, Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta can walk away for nothing come July. And if that scenario plays out, reinforcements will be required.
Sevilla's Jules Kounde is one option and Chelsea, who failed to sign the France international last summer, may go early in their bid to land the 23-year-old this time around.
football.london also understands Niklas Sule is under consideration and he will be available on a free transfer with his time at Bayern Munich coming to a close at the end of the campaign.
In attack, there is uncertainty over Christian Pulisic's future. The American will have just two years left to run on his deal by the summer and the Blues will need to make a call as to whether to stick with the winger – and offer him a new contract – or sell him for a significant fee.
Pulisic isn't the only member of the forward line with a question mark on their head. It's the same story with Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech and Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Throughout his first 12 months at Chelsea, Tuchel has been relaxed about the club's work in the transfer market. He hasn't complained about a lack of signings and has demanded players arrive simply for the sake of it.
The German will know, however, how important the 2022 summer window is to his time at Chelsea. And he, the club and Marina Granovksaia must make sure they are ready for it, starting now.
