Dean Jones told GiveMeSport that Chelsea will probably refrain from spending money on a new left-back this month.
Finding cover for this particular position has been the mission of the club’s chain of command in January.
Left-back conundrum
Ben Chilwell’s season-ending injury leaves Thomas Tuchel with Marcos Alonso as his only available, traditional left wing-back.
At 31, the Spaniard simply cannot play every game to maximum capacity, yet he’s hardly missed a minute since Chilwell retreated to the treatment room.
Tuchel even shuffled formation to play a four at the back against Tottenham Hotspur on the weekend, allowing Malang Sarr to give Alonso a rest at left-back.
Away from the pitch, the Chelsea hierarchy have been trying to recall Emerson Palmieri early from his loan spell with Lyon.
However, the French side will not bow down to the Blues’ requests.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Lyon have already rejected three attempts from the Champions League holders to reclaim Emerson.
With this avenue seemingly blocked, Chelsea’s attention has reportedly turned elsewhere.
Spend a little to gain a little
Sky Germany claimed recently that Stuttgart’s left-back Borna Sosa has become an option for the European champions.
Stuttgart would be looking for around £25m (Sky Germany) for Sosa, the same fee that Aston Villa paid for Lucas Digne, a player formerly on the Stamford Bridge radar.
However, Jones suggested that the Blues are simply not interested in splashing the cash on a left-back in this transfer window.
“From what I’ve heard, that is not something that Chelsea are looking to invest in right now,” he said.
“They obviously do want a new full-back to come in, but not at £25m.
“I think if that was the case, they probably would have been more serious about Lucas Digne and signing him.”
Not quite what Chelsea followers had hoped for
This might be painful reading to certain Chelsea supporters.
The thought of relying almost entirely on Alonso until the end of the campaign will be a worrying thought.
A fresh pair of legs has been needed down that flank for some time, something the defender simply cannot offer anymore.
Now Emerson’s return looks like a distant possibility, the thought of a fresh face was pretty much all that was keeping fans going.
Instead, they will probably head into February with the same squad that finished the previous section.
Hopefully, this mini-break can revive the team and help Tuchel push on for silverware, without needing extra reinforcements.
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