Our resident Chelsea fans here at the Transfer Tavern are curious to see what Guus Hiddink will do with his Chelsea sides.
Alexandre Pato will be arriving at Stamford Bridge any time, but this won’t take Chelsea to the next level.
With the struggles that have been well profiled, Chelsea could see some major additions to help the club not repeat the same embarrassment.
With the exception of goalkeeper, there are ways to improve every other position.
Some want younger players; others want experienced players.
Whatever the case may be, we have players that would help Chelsea compete for the Premier League as well as the Champions League.
Having an owner like Roman Abramovich, he expects nothing but trophies – the man will do whatever it takes to make sure his club is the best in the world.
That means giving his manager plenty of money to work with in the transfer windows.
Here are FIVE players we here in the Tavern believe that could make an immediate impact in January and help for future campaigns…….
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PRESS THE IMAGE BELOW TO SEE THE FIVE JANUARY SIGNINGS!
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James Rodriguez (Real Madrid)
Rodriguez hasn’t had the most success at Real Madrid and with Zidane now the manager, who knows whether Rodriguez will have a place in the starting XI.
Chelsea’s need for an attacking midfielder is glaring.
Oscar hasn’t played well this season and Fabregas has been wildly inconsistent.
It is unclear whether Chelsea could afford for Rodriguez.
The club would definitely need to sell some of its current players to bid for the Real Madrid playmaker.
However, Chelsea have done some fantastic business with buying and selling players.
Chelsea could get a good deal for Rodriguez. If that’s the case, every other Premier League club will be kicking themselves for not getting a dynamic player like Rodriguez at their club.
Iñaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao)
Despite his recent contract extension with a major buyout clause, clubs are still after his services.
He has been in tremendous form for Bilbao and this player could help Chelsea immediately.
The signing of Pato is a questionable one considering his injury problems and unknown qualities in the Premier League – Williams could be a great second option for Diego Costa.
The talents of Diego Costa are undeniable, but his antics on the field can be tiresome and for a club like Chelsea, it is unclear whether they will continue to support him.
Williams is only 21, but he has the potential to be an extremely productive forward for the next club he plays for.
Ross Barkley (Everton)
Much attention has been around John Stones and his transfer saga to Chelsea.
However, Chelsea should also be looking for this dynamic playmaker.
Barkley’s 2014-15 campaign wasn’t as good as expected, but the first half of the 2015-16 campaign has been splendid.
He has attacked defenders and delivered some delightful balls for Lukaku and company.
Oscar hasn’t developed into the number 10 Chelsea was looking for and Barkley could take over that role.
At only 22, Barkley could be the leading man for Chelsea’s midfield for years to come.
While this deal would be difficult to complete in January, this would be a key step on the other clubs who are looking after him.
He would be a future star for the midfield an certainly help their homegrown numbers for the Premier League roster.
Juan Jesus (Inter Milan)
Chelsea need some help in the back and buying top quality centre backs in January is nearly impossible.
However, Jesus has quality and is still young at the age of 24.
Jesus could go to a club like Chelsea and hopefully build a partnership with Kurt Zouma or John Stones (if Chelsea can ever get him).
While many supporters would want Stones instead, Everton has made it very clear he won’t be leaving in January.
It wouldn’t hurt Chelsea to have one more centre back to cover for the three already in the squad.
Jesus could provide cover and be a reliable asset to have moving forward.
At the very least, he could be sold for a profit, an event Chelsea is quite good at.
Lars Bender (Bayer Leverkusen)
With Ramires off to China, there is a defensive midfielder spot available.
Although Hiddink prefers Mikel, they still have the ability to upgrade in that position.
Bender would be a welcomed addition to the club.
Assuming Matic can rediscover his form from last season, this would be an excellent partnership.
Chelsea have been struggling to find some consistency in their midfield play as Willian has been Chelsea’s best midfielder.
He could use some help in the midfield and Bender could provide some help.
The German star also has a knack for goal and that would be exciting to see for the club. Bender would become a fan favourite quickly.
