Chelsea and Pochettino now ‘missing blue-chip signing’ at Stamford Bridge

Highlights Chelsea’s recent back-to-back victories have brought about a renewed confidence at Stamford Bridge and raised expectations for a successful season.
Despite their improved form, there are concerns that Chelsea’s lack of top-level strikers could hinder their trophy chances this season.
Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth believes that bringing in an elite number nine striker during the January transfer window could help Chelsea move closer to Champions League positions and challenge for the Premier League title.
Chelsea could be one key position away from having a squad capable of challenging for the Premier League title, Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has revealed to GIVEMESPORT.
Mauricio Pochettino oversaw another huge spending spree during the summer transfer window, but Sheth believes they are still short in one main area of the pitch.
Chelsea transfer news
It’s fair to say the Chelsea side which started the season in crisis looks like an entirely different entity right now. Having won just one of their opening six matches in the Premier League, back-to-back victories has helped turn things around for Pochettino’s side, who have since moved towards the top half of the table.
Obviously, a top-10 finish is a long way off what Chelsea will be aiming for at the end of the campaign and despite the two victories in recent weeks, there is still plenty of work for the Blues to do. But it is a step in the right direction for the club and more than anything, it’s brought about a renewed confidence at Stamford Bridge.
You have to go all the way back to March for the last time Chelsea recorded back-to-back wins in the Premier League, with the two-time European champions managing that feat just twice all season. And now, with performances having caught the eye against Fulham and Burnley, there is an increased expectation that Chelsea can make a success out of their season.
It’s just as well too, given the cash they splashed in the summer transfer window, with their off-season spending spree eclipsing the £500 million mark once again.
However, while the Chelsea squad might look in a stronger place following those two victories, there are still concerns that the lack of top-level strikers in their squad could hamper any trophy chances for the club this season.
Read More: Chelsea: £60m star ‘might not ever be seen again’ in position at Stamford Bridge
When asked about his opinion on the Chelsea squad during an interview with GIVEMESPORT, Sky Sports reporter Sheth admitted Pochettino was beginning to get a tune out of his star players, but questioned whether they’re still missing an elite number nine. Hinting that a striker could take them closer to the Champions League positions, or even still a Premier League title challenge, it’s a position Sheth expects to see movement in during the January transfer window:
“Will a striker transform them? I don’t think one player is simply just going to transform them. It will help, of course, it will help. They are creating chances and Pochettino is aware that they need to start finishing these chances. To the extent that there’ll be challenging for a title in the immediate future, probably not. But I think he does realise that a blue-chip striker is something that is missing at Chelsea and once that comes in, yes, it can help everyone else and ease pressure on the people who are making decisions. “I think if someone had told a Chelsea fan when Todd Boehly came in that they’d have been spending a billion pounds within three transfer windows, I think Chelsea fans would probably have said that, we’d be expecting to challenge. “However, I think they can see a little bit that the approach is slightly different to what it would have been to other clubs, whereby they’re going for the young, untried, untested kind of player, but the ones that have got a lot of potential and who can grow in the team.”
Chelsea summer signings Axel Disasi (Monaco) £38.5m Nicolas Jackson (Villarreal) £30.1m Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig) £52m Kendry Paez (Independiente del Valle) £17.27m Robert Sanchez (Brighton) £25m Moises Caicedo (Brighton) £115m Lesley Ugochukwu (Rennes) £23.5m Angelo Gabriel (Santos) Undisclosed Alex Matos (Norwich) Undisclosed Diego Moreira (Benfica) Undisclosed Ishe Samuels-Smith (Everton) Undisclosed Dujuan Richards (Phoenix All Stars Academy) Undisclosed Romeo Lavia (Southampton) £58m Deivid Washington (Santos) £17.1m Djordje Petrovic (New England Revolution) £14m Cole Palmer (Manchester City) £42.5m All fees courtesy of Sky Sports
Who might Chelsea target in attack?
The one name on everybody’s lips right now is Ivan Toney. While he might currently be sat on the sidelines due to a gambling ban picked up last season, the Brentford man is being tipped as the next big-money Chelsea arrival.
Reports from ESPN detail Chelsea’s interest, with the west London outfit said to be impressed by his Premier League goals record and pedigree in England’s top flight. Out of action until mid-January, it would represent a risk to sign Toney on the back of his hiatus from the game, but the Chelsea chiefs are confident he will be able to return to his best form.
Yet that might end up happening at another London club instead, with the story claiming that along with Chelsea, Arsenal are also keen on adding Toney to their ranks. Mikel Arteta is after a striker to come in and aid Arsenal’s title challenge, with Toney identified as the ideal candidate.
Should Chelsea pursue Toney’s signature in the January transfer window, it could be exactly what they need to help them in their hunt for a top-four finish.