The January transfer window has entered its final week and there will be countless clubs across the Premier League working hard to move players on and conclude season-altering deals.
Chelsea are not one of those clubs. Nor were they ever likely to be in truth. Yes, there was and still is an obvious area in need of strengthening – left wing-back – due to Ben Chilwell's long-term injury, but Thomas Tuchel is understood happy with the rest of his first-team squad.
Some may find that surprising given the Blues' form over the past seven weeks; Chelsea have won just three of their previous ten Premier League games and have fallen out of the title race as a result.
Yet injuries, Covid cases, and squad fatigue have played their part in that and the expectation is that after the current international break, in which the majority of the first-team group have been given a week off, Chelsea will be back to something resembling their best.
That does not mean Marina Granovskaia and Petr Cech will put their feet up and relax during the final days of the transfer window, however. There are deals to be done.
Throughout this month, Chelsea have attempted to bring Emerson Palmieri back from his loan spell at Lyon to cover for Chilwell's absence. The Italian international is Tuchel's first choice as there will be no adaptation period needed and no reason to be concerned about how the 27-year-old settles into the squad.
The Blues have offered Lyon significant compensation – in excess of £3million – to end Emerson's loan early but the Ligue 1 club have stood firm and are insistent the defender will remain with them until the end of the campaign.
It is understood Emerson is open to a return to Stamford Bridge and Chelsea are expected to make one final offer to Lyon this week before considering alternative solutions.
One that has been mooted is Barcelona's Sergino Dest, who is capable of filling in on either side of a back four or in the two wing-back positions, something which could be beneficial with Reece James injured.
Yet last week the USMNT star's agent, Michael Reschke, stated Dest was content in Catalonia despite his reduced game time since the appointment of Xavi. "Sergino Is happy in Barcelona," Reschke said. "It is a big club. That's why it is quite unlikely at this moment."
Chelsea do have an in-house option they could lean on at left wing-back for the remainder of the campaign in Kenedy. The Brazilian was recalled from his loan spell at Flamengo earlier this month and was expected to be sent out to Spain with La Liga clubs interested in taking him for the remainder of the campaign.
Yet Kenedy has been incorporated into the first team on his return and registered in the Premier League squad. And Tuchel has admitted the 25-year-old is an option to consider if no other business can be done.
”Kenedy is back and I’m very happy about it," Tuchel said on January 14. "It's a huge opportunity for him to make his mark at this club and in this team. We will try now from today on to push and support him as good as we can.
"Nothing has changed but it needs to make sense, to be possible, make sense on a high level, also in terms of quality, personality. We have a look into the market, nothing has changed. We have all options, also the option to say no."
Tuchel added: "He [Kenedy] has to show if he is able to and if it’s his dream to make his mark. I like the guy, I like his personality and I like the player.
“I saw him not only as Chelsea manager, but also when he played for Chelsea. I remember him playing for Newcastle. But let’s be realistic, it’s a long time ago. We will not decide it today and not tomorrow. We have time.”
Chelsea have completed the signing of a left-sided defender this week with 18-year-old Dylan Williams joining the club from Derby County. He will join the Development Squad and could make his debut this evening against Manchester City.
“Wow. I am absolutely delighted to have signed for one of the biggest clubs in the world," Williams posted on Instagram. “Thank you so much for everything the staff and players have done at Derby County. I cannot wait to get started at Chelsea.”
One player heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge over the past week is Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele. The France international is out of contract at the Camp Nou in the summer and has turned down multiple offers to renew his deal.
Barcelona have taken a hard stance as a result, with director of football Mateu Alemany stating last week that the club would look to sell Dembele before the current transfer window closes.
"We started talks with Ousmane and his agent around last July, during these six months there have been discussions," he said. “Barca made different offers, looking for a way for this player to stay with us. These offers were rejected by his agents.
“Today, it seems to us obvious that the player does not want to stay at Barcelona, is not committed to Barca's future sporting project. In this scenario, we communicated to him and his agents that he must leave immediately as we want players committed to this project."
Tuchel worked with Dembele at Borussia Dortmund and remains a big admirer of the winger despite his injury issues over the past four-and-a-half years.
"He’s a very good player, and I am very fortunate to have trained him in my time at Dortmund,” Tuchel said on Friday. “It was only one year, it should have been longer, but I needed to leave and he decided to leave.
"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."
Chelsea are understood to be monitoring Dembele's situation at Barcelona given Tuchel's fondness of the 24-year-old. However, unless a late opportunity arises and a member of the Chelsea attack departs, the France international is unlikely to arrive this month.
Someone who could leave Chelsea before the end of the transfer window is Ross Barkley. The Blues, as was the case in the summer, are open to letting the midfielder depart on loan or permanently if the right offer is received.
Malang Sarr has attracted interest this month with clubs in the Premier League and in Serie A interested in signing the French defender on loan. However, the 23-year-old has proved himself a useful option at centre-back and on the left of a back four and is now set to remain part of Tuchel's squad.
There is likely to be some movement among Chelsea's loan army in the final days of the window with players ending one loan and embarking on another. That has already happened this month with Jamie Cumming and Juan Castillo, who joined MK Dons and Charlton Athletic respectively.
