Marina Granovskaia has been handed the chance to silence her critics and rectify Chelsea's disappointing January transfer window. The Blues' transfer chief has been subject to growing criticism for the club's lackadaisical response to a growing crisis among Thomas Tuchel's squad.
Chelsea secured the German boss just three new signings despite having guided the west Londoners to just their second-ever Champions League honour. The first of which was a third- choice goalkeeper, the second has publicly confessed his desire to leave, and the third was a loanee who hasn't exactly set the world alight. Despite having set a new transfer record at Stamford Bridge in the summer, Granovskaia orchestrated a relatively uninspiring summer transfer window.
Ben Chilwell and Reece James were staples in Tuchel's winning formula, but Romelu Lukaku's mouth-watering price tag and the drama of a deadline day arrival ultimately plastered paper over the cracks. Chelsea failed to cater to their star wing-backs' potential absences in the summer, and the Blues were forced to pay the price. However, Tuchel's side looks set to suffer again this month despite Granovskaia having had the chance to pre-plan the club's January transfer strategy.
The injuries of Chilwell and James came in November and late December, respectively, offering Chelsea sufficient time to scour the market for tangible options to cover either, if not both, of their absences. There is just over a week to go in the January transfer market, and the Blues have as much as a 'he said, she said' to show for their efforts. However, Barcelona's latest urge to conduct a fire sale could play perfectly into Chelsea's hands; the Spanish side are reportedly keen to offload a handful of players, and the Blues can patiently wait to pick up the pieces.
President Joan Laporta has confirmed that there will need to be outgoings in January if any transfer moves are to be made in order to comply with the La Liga salary cap. According to Gerard Romero, Xavi is keen to overhaul the Barcelona squad and allow Frenkie de Jong and Sergino Dest to leave.
The duo has a combined value of £79.2 million, as per Transfermarkt, and their arrivals could solve Chelsea's hesitancy to act swiftly in the transfer market, which, in turn, would send Tuchel a message to prove to him that he's being backed.
However, suppose Granovskaia fails to pounce on this opportunity. In that case, the Blues risk repeating the same mistake that they've fallen for under every manager - a toxic carousel of bosses who arrive, over-perform, are then are not backed and then leave after 18 months.
0 Comments