Douglas Luiz was the latest Chelsea move that was being rumoured, but Liam Rosenior may have just put that to bed.
A central midfielder became an instant priority for Chelsea after a setback for Dario Essugo.
The fact that Romeo Lavia’s return date is no closer to becoming clear also plays into it, with just four options available to Liam Rosenior outside of that.
DECISION TIME: If Liam Rosenior gets to pick one midfielder signing this month, who should it be?💰
Have we missed anyone…
Until this point, Rosenior has opted for a midfield of two or three, depending on who’s available, with Enzo Fernandez taking up a more advanced role in Cole Palmer’s absence.
There had been talk of Douglas Luiz coming to Chelsea this month amid his loan spell at Nottingham Forest, but Rosenior seems to have thrown cold water on that.
Liam Rosenior is happy with his midfield options
Speaking in his press conference ahead of the Crystal Palace clash, Liam Rosenior was asked about the potential signing of a central midfielder.
He responded by saying this (as per Football.London).
“Unfortunately, Dario picked up a really unfortunate injury. He slipped in training and will be out for over a month. Romeo is on the way back, which is great. He’s a very, very good player at a very high level.
“We have Enzo, Moi, Andrey Santos and Reece James – it’s not bad. I don’t want to bring in players that don’t enhance the group or the chemistry we’re building.”
Do Chelsea need a central midfielder this month?🤔
How Douglas Luiz compares to Chelsea’s other midfielders
Douglas Luiz is open to a move to Chelsea.
He’s a canny midfielder who has already proven he can cut it in the Premier League, but he hasn’t shown the quality he possesses since his Aston Villa days.
His versatility could come in useful, with the ability to play as an eight or a six.
But he’s out of touch right now and appears to be lacking in the defensive department in comparison to other Chelsea midfielders when you look at recoveries.
In a Liam Rosenior system, you need to be constantly looking to win back the ball.
| Player | Tackles | Interceptions | Recoveries | Pass Accuracy % | Goals/Assists |
| Moises Caicedo | 50 | 39 | 97 | 91.0% | 3 / 1 |
| Enzo Fernandez | 41 | 11 | 83 | 85.4% | 6 / 2 |
| Reece James | 27 | 27 | 78 | 88.5% | 2 / 4 |
| Andrey Santos | 38 | 10 | 88 | 86.6% | 0 / 0 |
| Douglas Luiz | 10 | 7 | 20 | 92.4% | 0 / 0 |
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
