Chelsea and Liverpool bids for players transfers
As the transfers closed, A time where Premier League managers often say it’s difficult to do business. “Players are too expensive,” they cry. “We’ll have to wait until the summer.”
As the Chelsea’s got a new boss Graham Potter, he reviewed about the recent matches with just one win in six games across all competitions in January. The Blues sit 10 points behind the top four in 10th, and out of both domestic cups and have a tough Champions League knockout tie with Borussia Dortmund.
So far, Potter’s tactics haven’t really worked upto the mark. He has begun to introduce a few talented youngsters like Lewis Hall and Bashir Humphreys. Chelsea possess incredible attacking strength in depth that not worked up to the extent and, vitally, with no prolific striker to act as a focal point.
Kai Havertz has shown glimpses but still not upto his real potential. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has proved useless, and players such as Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic flit in and out of injury. Potter’s tactics have so far been unbalanced and exposed a lot of the squad’s weaknesses, while creating new ones that weren’t there before, such as an easy-to-bypass midfield.
The former Brighton man is fortunate he’s got the backing of new owner Todd Boehly.
Few would sanction the transfers of Joao Felix, Benoit Badiashile, David Datro Fofana, Andrey Santos, Noni Madueke and Malo Gusto when a manager is performing so badly. Even fewer would gazump Arsenal to the £70 million acquisition of Mykhailo Mudryk.
Fewer still would pay £105 million to snatch World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez from Benfica. Chelsea were in, they were out, but ultimately they were in again. Potter has absolutely no excuses not to improve this team now.
Boehly has made it clear: He believes in Potter, and he’s willing to reinforce that with extravagant spending to get Chelsea out of a hole.
Liverpool expectations in Transfer Chelsea’s determination
Both Liverpool and Everton suffered a difficult January, albeit for very different reasons.
Liverpool be considered losers when they signed Cody Gakpo. As talented as the Dutch forward is, his arrival failed to address the problems Jurgen Klopp is dealing with in midfield.
Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara are slowing down. Fabinho doesn’t look as dominant as usual. Naby Keita is destined to leave, having never fulfilled his potential at Anfield. Despite being extremely talented, Harvey Elliott and Stefan Bajcetic are not the immediate answer for a club that expects to compete for every trophy.
To add to the misery, Arthur Melo’s loan has proved a disaster, as long-term injury means he’ll be lucky to get on the pitch more than the single time he’s accumulated.
Liverpool are clearly a team in transition. Gakpo is part of that, alongside Darwin Nunez, as the long-term successors for Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino are hunted. You need to plug the biggest holes first in moments of flux, though, and Klopp’s desperate needs were left wanting in January.
As for Everton, well, what is there to say? Frank Lampard led the Toffees to the relegation zone before being sacked. What looked like a stunning coup in Arnaut Danjuma turned out to be highly embarrassing after the Villarreal winger opted to join Tottenham Hotspur on loan instead, despite media duties being completed for his Goodison Park reveal.
Everton flirted with Hakim Ziyech, but it seemed too good to be true, and it was. Then Fenerbahce striker Michy Batshuayi reportedly turned them down because the project isn’t stable enough, per David Ornstein of The Athletic.
All of this played out to the backdrop that Anthony Gordon, the club’s best young player, just gave up on them to move to Newcastle United. Even Everton’s own want out. It’s a nightmare scenario for a team who are real candidates for relegation.
