Not too long ago, Chelsea winger Noni Madueke was dismissing inquiries about the championship battle with a casual demeanor, claiming he had no idea what it was.
The constant questions about the Blues' chances of winning the Premier League undoubtedly became tedious, but many wish those times had continued beyond 2025.
Enzo Maresca's team has only won once in their last seven league games after suffering a 3-1 loss to Manchester City on Saturday. They are now in sixth place in the standings and are hardly on pace to improve on Mauricio Pochettino's lackluster one-season tenure.
As the front-runners in recent transfer windows, the Blues have so far refrained from spending a lot of money to improve an already overburdened team. But their failure in the last month has revealed inadequate squad building, and better players are needed to get Maresca's team back on track.
Chelsea will aim to address these four issues prior to the deadline.
1. An improvement for Robert Sanchez
Last season, Pochettino replaced Robert Sanchez with Djordje Petrovic, although Maresca was ready to trust the Spaniard after taking over for the Argentine.
With the majority of Filip Jorgensen's starts coming in the cup competitions after joining the team from Villarreal in the summer, Sanchez has served as Chelsea's number one this season.
Although the former Brighton goalie has had a few strong games in goal, he is always on the verge of making a terrible mistake. According to Sky Sports, Sanchez has made five mistakes that have resulted in goals this season, which is tied for the most in the Premier League. Ipswich's Arijanet Muric is his equal in that category, but Christian Walton has surpassed him at Portman Road.
Despite Sanchez's dreadful performance at the Etihad, Maresca hinted that there won't be any significant changes in goalkeeping. However, the Italian acknowledged that his goalkeeper is performing "far, far, far" below the level that is needed.
The Spaniard is obviously not the best player in the Premier League, but Jorgensen hasn't said yet that he would be a clear improvement. Maybe an outside expansion is needed.
2. Dependable goal scorer
They need to concentrate on acquiring a vicious goal scorer if they want to strengthen their front line. The most successful Chelsea teams in recent memory were captained by a versatile forward with a clinical touch. Consider Diego Costa and Didier Drogba. Nicolas Jackson is beginning to indicate that he might not be the best candidate to lead the team, but good luck trying to sign a player of that caliber in the last few days of the transfer window.
Despite scoring 14 Premier League goals in the previous season, Jackson fell short of his predicted goal total by 4.6, according to FBRef. The former Villarreal striker's potential from the previous season was reinforced in the first half of 2024–2025, but he is currently experiencing a drought from which he hardly seems to be turning. It's his eighth game without a goal.
Chelsea should think about cutting their losses with the disgruntled Christopher Nkunku and recruiting a dependable goal scorer to lessen the pressure on Jackson, but they shouldn't completely lose up on the 23-year-old.
What Alejandro Garnacho might contribute to this Chelsea club that they don't currently have is difficult to predict. Although he is a more willing scorer than Maresca's current wide alternatives, should the Blues spend £60 million for him considering their other needs?
3. More depth in the midfield
It's amazing that Chelsea lacks depth at a few positions considering the sheer volume of players who have joined the team in recent years.
During their pre-Christmas glory, midfield was a clear strength, but Romeo Lavia's ongoing injury issues have caused Maresca's preferred choices to be exhausted. Moises Caicedo has played more Premier League minutes than any other Chelsea player this season (2,035).
Chelsea's current depth alternatives, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Cesare Casadei, may depart the team before the deadline, despite the manager's insistence that he doesn't need midfield reinforcements.
The Blues can't let all of their backup midfield options go, especially because Lavia is expected to miss weeks of action due to a muscle ailment. Even Dewsbury-Hall, an old Leicester friend, is obviously not someone Maresca trusts to perform in the Premier League.
4. Replacement for Renato Veiga
Chelsea has decided to loan Renato Veiga to Juventus for the rest of the season after he joined the team in the summer. Although there is no commitment or option to buy outright, it wouldn't be shocking if the Clearlake traders decided to sign the former Basel defender on a long-term basis in the summer.
Although Veiga is a fascinating character who has contributed something in cup competitions, Maresca hasn't had faith in him in the Premier League. Veiga has only played 181 minutes in the league, whereas Marc Cucurella has started 19 of Chelsea's 23 games.
Ben Chilwell's suspension under Maresca's leadership has left the Blues with few left-back options. Levi Colwill, the manager's first-choice central defender, will serve as Cucurella's backup unless Chilwell makes an immediate impression.
If Chelsea doesn't get a replacement for Veiga, they will be lacking at the position.
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