Premier League legend Alan Shearer has named three important positions Chelsea need to improve upon in the January transfer window. The West London club have had a tough holiday season, winning only one of their last six top-flight games. They are now in fifth place with 29 points, three points behind fourth-placed Liverpool and 13 points behind leaders Arsenal.
Just a few weeks ago, after a draw with Arsenal, the Blues were seen as outside title contenders. But disappointing results against Leeds, Bournemouth, and Newcastle have raised long-standing concerns about their consistency.
Chelsea also lost 2-1 to Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on December 27, as Ollie Watkins came off the bench to score twice and give the visitors a comeback win.
Shearer didn’t hold back when he talked about the Blues’ squad problems on The Rest Is Football podcast. The Newcastle United legend thinks the team needs a lot of help in three crucial areas if they want to compete for major trophies. He said:
“I think they’re lacking a top-class No.9 and a top-class centre-half, I think, as well. I’m not saying that [Joao] Pedro and [Liam] Delap can’t do it, but I think to get to that elite level and challenge for Premier League, then I would say they’d probably need a top class centre-forward and centre-half.”
The former England striker added:
“Maybe a goalkeeper… I’ve never been convinced with Chelsea that they can win the league.”
Robert Sanchez has kept eight clean sheets in 16 Premier League games this season, which is the same as Arsenal’s David Raya – the best in the league. Even though these numbers are good, Chelsea are still looking for a new number one and will act quickly if a good chance comes up in the winter market.
Lineker Questions Chelsea’s Striking Options as Maresca Searches for Solutions
Gary Lineker agreed with the concerns about Chelsea’s forward line, noting that the position is still uncertain. He said:
“They’re struggling. They still haven’t quite worked [who should play] centre-forward. I mean, Liam Delap has been injured a lot this season. He’s not really had a run in the side. I don’t think Joao Pedro is really a No.9.”
Chelsea spent about £60 million on Pedro over the summer, bringing the Brazilian forward from Brighton on an eight-year deal. They also triggered Delap’s £30 million release clause to sign the England Under-21 international from Ipswich Town on a six-year contract. So far this season, the two have had different returns.
Pedro has scored 10 goals in 26 games for the Blues, showing that he is a good attacker since moving from the south coast. Delap, on the other hand, has only scored two goals in 18 games. His hamstring and shoulder problems have kept him from making an impact and getting into a steady rhythm in Maresca’s system.
