Once the FIFA World Cup is over, Premier League clubs will be getting straight into delivering on their January transfer window plans.
The mid-season window is never as active as the summer one, but it presents a good chance for teams to add or sell players to or from their squad. For Chelsea and newly-appointed head coach Graham Potter, it could be a bigger window than we'd usually expect in January.
It will of course be Potter's first chance to add to the Blues squad he inherited from Thomas Tuchel almost two months ago. A few long-term injuries could impact what Potter and new co-owner Todd Boehly will do in January.
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N'Golo Kante was ruled out for four months in October after having surgery on his hamstring after specialist guidance. The France international will miss the upcoming World Cup, and he is expected to be on the sidelines until around February.
Kante's contract is up at the end of the season and right now, Chelsea and the player are not close to reaching an agreement of an extension to his deal. So, the January transfer window is a chance for the Blues to add to their midfield to firstly cover Kante when injured and then essentially replace the Frenchman should he end his what will be a seven-year stay with the club next summer.
Likewise, Jorginho sees his contract at Stamford Bridge come to an end in the summer of 2023. The Italian midfielder could yet put pen to paper on an extension but right now, he is set to leave, with plenty of interest from his homeland of Italy.
Another concern for Potter will be the injury suffered by Ben Chilwell in Wednesday's Champions League win over Dinamo Zagreb. The England international, who has had a torrid time with injuries over the past couple of seasons, now looks set to miss the World Cup and some reports have suggested he could miss a large chunk of the remainder of the season as well.
This leaves Potter with just Marc Cucurella as someone who is a natural at operating at left-back or left wing-back. The issue with that is Cucurella often plays as a left centre-back as well, so that takes away an option for one of those two positions.
So, with all of this being said, football.london takes a look at four players Chelsea could take a look at when the January transfer window opens to try and solve the problems Potter has in his squad right now.
Edson Alvarez
Alvarez is someone Chelsea were very keen on signing towards the end of the summer transfer window. The Ajax midfielder was desperate to move to west London, football.london understands, but the Dutch club blocked the move with no time to find an adequate replacement.
Interest from Chelsea remains in the Mexico international ahead of the January transfer window. Alvarez would still be keen on making the switch to Stamford Bridge should an offer arrive, and January could be the time.
Alvarez is a ball-winning midfielder who has shown fantastic ability during his time in Amsterdam. Denis Zakaria's sensational performance in midweek showed how Chelsea can operate differently when they have someone of that ilk in the middle of the field.
Leandro Trossard
A player Potter really likes after the two enjoyed a successful relationship when working at Brighton. The 27-year-old showed his class recently as he starred in the Seagulls' 4-1 win over Chelsea last weekend.
Trossard can play in a front-three, perhaps where he's more natural, but he has also shown his ability to play as a left wing-back for club and country. He recently admitted he would leave the Amex Stadium if the opportunity presented itself in what seemed like a come-and-get-me plea to interested clubs – one of them thought to be Chelsea.
The Brighton wide man, when speaking to Het Nieuwsblad in September, said: "Our coach did leave for Chelsea but speculation about me following him makes no sense. If the opportunity arises, I want to go. But I want to play and not sit on the bench."
Hakim Ziyech
Ziyech has played just 15 minutes of Premier League football since Potter was appointed Chelsea head coach in September. The Moroccan is clearly not part of Potter's plans at Stamford Bridge and his future looks to be away from west London.
football.london understands Ziyech was keen on leaving Chelsea over the summer transfer window and based on the evidence this season, that is unlikely to have changed much. Ajax were interested in the summer, as were AC Milan, so if either of those two came in for the 29-year-old, then Chelsea would be silly to turn an offer down.
Ian Maatsen
Then there's a player Chelsea already have that they could bring back in. Maatsen is currently on loan at Championship side Burnley, so this wouldn't be Chelsea buying a player. The 20-year-old is making quite the impression up at Turf Moor, playing under Vincent Kompany in a new-look Clarets side.
The Dutchman, who has come through Chelsea's academy since being signed from PSV Eindhoven in 2018, has registered four assists and scored one goal in 14 Championship appearances so far. His attacking play has really helped Burnley out in the league this season.
Maatsen has a contract with Chelsea that runs until 2024, so the next 12 months for him could be crucial. With Chilwell out and expected to miss a lot of the season, recalling Maatsen would save Chelsea loads of money to provide cover to Cucurella at left wing-back.
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