Chelsea go into the January transfer window sitting 4th in the Premier League, and have been exceeding expectations so far this season. However, a small dip in form across the last three games has seen them go from unlikely title challengers to top four contenders in a matter of days. That being said, the Blues are still on for a very successful winning, and are heavy favourites to win the UEFA Conference League.

As the January transfer window gets underway, the Blues are likely to be heavily involved in deals – both in and out – as Enzo Maresca looks to navigate the second half of the season successfully, and continue the early momentum he has built so far.

Outgoings Predicted

Maresca has done a fantastic job managing a very large squad so far this season – earning plaudits for his use of the cup competitions to give fringe players important game time, alongside introducing academy prospects and keeping his primary squad fit and fresh for the more challenging Premier League games.

Despite that, Chelsea still have a handful of players on their books who they are looking to get rid of sooner rather than later. The biggest name is that of Ben Chilwell – an important member of the Champions League winning team of 2021. However since then, Chilwell has struggled with injuries, form and the surprising rise of Marc Cucurella.

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Still only 28, Chilwell still has plenty of years ahead of him but it has been made clear that Maresca has no place for him in his squad. Even with Cucurella was suspended against Everton recently, Maresca opted to play Malo Gusto as an inverted fullback over the England international. A move to Juventus has been rumoured, but reports suggest that Chelsea are struggling to shift the left back, who earns an alleged £190,000 per week.

Alongside Chilwell, Carney Chukwuemeka is likely to be looking for a new club after failing to establish himself in Maresca’s plans following various injury problems. The 21-year-old has high levels of potential, but may find he needs a move to re-ignite his career, with West Ham strongly linked. Chelsea invested £20million into the Austrian-born talent, and will be looking to make a profit on him should a permanent transfer become available.

Finally, the likes of Harvey Vale, Cesare Casadei, Alex Matos and Renato Veiga may also be allowed to leave in search of more regular game time as Maresca looks to fine tune his squad going into the second half of the season.

Potential Incomings

Whilst Maresca has long said he’s happy with his squad, the recent controversy and suspension of Mykhailo Mudryk has lead to Chelsea looking light in the wide areas. With Cole Palmer and João Félix battling it out for the number 10 spot, Chelsea could use another winger coming in – even just on a short-term solution – in order to boost their ranks for the FA Cup and Conference League in the second half of the season. Leroy Sané, formerly of Manchester City, has been rumoured.

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With Wesley Fofana now likely to miss the remainder of the season, Chelsea are set to be looking into a right-sided central defender to partner Levi Colwill. With Axel Disasi still proving to be more of a liability than an option, Chelsea are said to be looking to resign the impressive Marc Guéhi from Crystal Palace. Newcastle were heavily linked with the 24-year-old England defender last summer but a move failed to materialise. Guéhi came through the Cobham academy, but has found his form at Selhurst Park and an £80million return to Stamford Bridge is being heavily rumoured.

Chelsea have been incredibly, and infamously, active in recent transfer windows, but with Maresca trying to find the right balance with the squad he currently has, whilst also looking to achieve more stability throughout the club, this upcoming transfer window is likely to be one of the quieter ones for the Blues, with outgoings likely to be the major moves.

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