The January transfer window is nearing it's second week of being officially open and it could prove to be one of the most important in Chelsea's recent history. It will be the second chance the new ownership model has to implement their new philosophy, with plenty more time to plan for it.
The summer proved to be a slight scattergun approach, with the need to bring in experience to replace outgoing players while also signing youngsters for the future, with little time for the regime to get their feet under the table. Results have since been inconsistent, with the side sitting 10th amid a slew of injury concerns and a change of head coach.
In that time though, the club has been better fleshed out in the background, with the implementation of a whole host of new backroom staff, including the building of a recruitment team. With a change in philosophy towards signing and developing youngsters, it may see a slightly more structured approach this winter compared to last summer.
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Three signings have already been made by the hierarchy with Andrey Santos and David Datro Fofana both joining with a long-term view to making the first-team, while Benoit Badiashile joined from AS Monaco with both the future and the current team in mind. It could allow the Blues to build a sustainable base to work a squad from, even if it takes a few years to get there.
Another player that has been linked with a switch in January is Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk, who has also been on the radar of rivals Arsenal. The 22-year-old has a current value of £88million set on him by the Ukrainian club, who have rejected two bids from the Gunners already.
While it's such a big price for the Blues, as well as the possibility of being dragged into a bidding war, the move makes sense for Boehly and his side. At such a young age, Mudryk fits into the current aim of the ownership in bringing in young talent for the future.
Much like Badiashile, the winger won't just be one for the future, given the fact that he could offer something to the current side as well. Looking at how he compares to other players in his position in the top five leagues in Europe, FBRef paints a great picture of his ability.
The stats show that he would be in the top few percent in all divisions for his non-penalty goals, non-penalty Expected Goals and assists in an attacking sense. Creatively, he's also a dribbling machine, completing a high volume of dribbles, receiving lots of progressive passes and taking plenty of touches in the opposition box.
All of these stats reflect on his performances in the Champions League too, though it is worth noting that the sample size is relatively small due to that fact. However, if he can translate those performances to the Premier League, then he could be worth the huge outlay in the transfer market.
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