Kylian Mbappe has officially made a statement about joining Chelsea FC this January transfer window
The silly season has officially begun. The start of the new year signals the start of the January transfer market, and recent big hitters Chelsea are almost guaranteed to be in and among the headlines throughout the month.
Only a year ago, they embarked on a record-breaking four-week period in which they signed eight new players for a total of over £300 million, including the highest British transfer at the time. They have more focused business to attend to this time around.
Many expect the Blues to strive for a new striker, and January 1 marks the start of what is likely to be a short and congested window for clubs to sign Kylian Mbappe. The Paris Saint-Germain attacker declined to sign an extension with the Parisiens over the summer and appeared to be on his way out after being dropped from the team’s pre-season plans.
The Frenchman now has fewer than six months left on his contract and will be free to leave at the end of the season. Although PSG has apparently tried to exclude the possibility of a move to Real Madrid, there are expected to be a slew of bids on the table.
Chelsea, who briefly trialled Mbappe in the early 2010s, may be one of those clubs. Football.london explores the optics of a transaction and whether or not it makes sense.
Mbappe and Mauricio Pochettino? says football.london. So why not? Ignoring the financial aspect for a moment, because his wages would blow all previous attempts to reduce the cost out of the water, this is a wonderful chance.
Chances to sign players like Mbappe without a massive transfer fee do not come along very often. They don’t come around all that often. This has never happened before.
Do Chelsea require Mbappe? Mbappe is required by everyone. He’s not the high-pressing forward Pochettino prefers, but he’s a difference maker and a player who can be counted on. The Blues are putting together a hardworking group that may potentially cover for his play out of possession.
On the ball, Mbappe is a true game changer, a match winner, and someone who brings the cutting edge. Give him Christopher Nkunku to play off of and Conor Gallagher to hide behind when defending, and you’ve got yourself a formidable team. It’s a pipe dream that will never come true, but what if?
Mbappe, on the other hand, would not join a team that isn’t in the Champions League, and Chelsea are a long way from that. Daydreaming is over.
The world of attackers is heavily disputed at the top level right now, and a handful of teams, including Arsenal, are vying for one in 2024. Chelsea are on the lookout whether it’s in January or in the summer – or in January for the summer.
After closely following Victor Osimhen for much of the past two years, the club was discussing a prospective bid this month football.London believes that the opportunity to sign him is still on the table. Although the 24-year-old has signed a new contract with Napoli, speculation that he will leave in the near future remains.
According to reports, Chelsea is exploring a bid that would bring him in at the end of the season, similar to how Nkunku moved from RB Leipzig to Stamford Bridge last summer. Although this is only one of several alternatives for Osimhen, it is clearly one that Chelsea prefers.
Although a top-quality striker in January could see Chelsea quickly rise up the table – they are creating chances week after week to suggest that better finishing is the difference between being tenth and challenging for the top six at the very least – it is not something that should be rushed.
Osimhen isn’t coming in the winter, that much is apparent, but is it worth signing someone who isn’t a key target just to get business done at this point in the season? If Osimhen is the man and everyone agrees – and they could since he is undeniably classy – then why settle for second best?
It will be difficult to reach an agreement now, especially given Osimhen’s desire for Champions League guarantees like Mbappe, but it is not impossible. With the Didier Drogba factor, he has a connection to Chelsea and might be persuaded to take the risk of signing when the club is outside the top four/five with the goal of progressing. This also seems implausible, but starting now is preferable to reacting poorly and settling for second-rate solutions later.
football.london Chelsea’s WhatsApp group
