Chelsea needs to strengthen in January

Chelsea have been thrown into turmoil in recent months by poor performances and an injury-crisis.

The reigning champions have stumbled in the Premier League title race of late and suddenly the squad is starting to look a little shaky.

Challenge

The Blues are currently third place in the Premier League behind Manchester United and league leaders Arsenal.

And they face a tough challenge tomorrow afternoon as they face a trip to Tottenham’s White Hart Lane.

Tottenham have enjoyed a good season so far and believe themselves to be title contenders. White Hart Lane is one of the most difficult grounds Chelsea could be visiting this weekend and they will need to put in a far better performance than last weekend’s 1-1 home draw with Everton.

Energy

The Blues have lacked energy and exuberance in recent games. It seems that Chelsea is now in need of some new inspiration. The January transfer window couldn’t have came at a better time for beleaguered boss Carlo Ancelotti.

Funds

The Italian boss will be given funds in January to bring in new players. Ancelotti revealed: “I spoke to the owner after the game on Wednesday and we spoke about what we can do in January,”

“If we need to improve our squad in January, we’ll be able to do this. The owner is available for us to do this. But now’s not the time to think about this. We have to play with these players against Tottenham.”

Ancelotti will be relieved to know that he is receiving the backing of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich. The pair’s relationship has allegedly been frosty of late and maybe this is an indication that the Russian is still supportive of the ex-AC Milan boss.

Targets

I have talked about Chelsea’s lack of options at the centre of defence in my past articles and surely that’s a position where Ancelotti will try to improve his options this January. One name that has been linked with the Blues is Bolton’s star centre-back Gary Cahill.

Another name being linked with Chelsea is that of Brazilian centre-back David Luiz. The Benfica defender is one of the hottest properties in world football. Luiz has already been linked with moves to Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona.

He is regarded as a ball playing centre-back but is also a good tackler. The Brazilian international is rated in the £25million bracket, which may prove slightly pricey for the January transfer window.

Chelsea really needs England midfielder Frank Lampard to return from injury, as they don’t look the same team without him, in the meantime though they could strengthen their midfield options. Napoli playmaker Marek Hamsik is being lauded as a possible transfer target.

The 23 year-old Slovakian international is highly-rated and has impressed in his three years in Serie A. He has vision and good technique and also has a decent goalscoring record, scoring 36 goals in 121 appearances from midfield for the Azzurri.

He is definitely one for the future and would be a good long-term replacement for the aforementioned Lampard. He has a strong character and that’s always important for a player playing for a top team.

Confidence

Before Ancelotti can strengthen Chelsea must negotiate the next few weeks. They need to rediscover the confidence which has been missing in the last few months. If they can then I’m sure they will rediscover their early season form.

Would will joining Chelsea in January?