30 December 2023 , 15:52
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Mauricio Pochettino has admitted his players have to “step up” for Chelsea in the New Year, rather than the club relying on making yet more signings.
Chelsea ended 2023 on a high with a 3-2 win over Luton on Saturday thanks to a stunning performance from Cole Palmer. The £40million summer signing scored twice to add to a strike from Noni Madueke put the Blues 3-0 up at Kenilworth Road.
Luton hit back late on through Ross Barkley’s header and Elijah Adebayo’s rebound to make it a nervy finish, but although they hit the bar twice and had a goal ruled out for offside, they could not find an equaliser. The win was Chelsea’s fourth in their past five games across all competitions, but Pochettino knows that there is still lots of work to be done.
Chelsea have spent over £1bn since Todd Boehly’s consortium took over the club in May 2022, but are still struggling for consistency. With the January transfer window around the corner, the Blues might have been expected to continue their spending trend, but Pochettino is focused on improving those he currently has.
Asked about plans for the January transfer window, Pochettino told TNT Sports: “I think we are going to discuss with the owner and the sporting director but it is going to be a decision from everywhere. I think at the moment, the most important thing is to work with our squad and our team.
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“There are too many players that need to step up and be part of the squad and the team and be available. We suffered many injuries at the start of the season – to be honest, I am not thinking of going into the market personally, but we will discuss with the owners all together to make a decision for the team.”
Mauricio Pochettino has fired a warning to his Chelsea players (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)HAVE YOUR SAY! Do Chelsea need to make signings in January? Comment below.
Chelsea are currently without Ben Chilwell, Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella, Robert Sanchez, Romeo Lavia, Trevoh Chalobah, Carney Chukwuemeka, Lesley Ugochukwu and Benoit Badashile due to injury. But Palmer aside, many of their expensive additions are yet to hit their stride under Pochettino’s management.
Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez – two of the four most expensive signings in Premier League history – are yet to click as a midfield partnership. Nicolas Jackson, a £30m summer signing, has made some glaring errors, while £52m Christopher Nkunku only recently made his debut following a summer injury.
Chelsea know they need to offload some players if they are to make signings in January and Pochettino wants to be heavily involved in any deals. “It’s obvious that the head coach, coach or manager is crazy to think he won’t be involved in any decisions for the future in my area,” he said this week.
“Of course we will share with the owners, the sporting director and I cannot conceive the idea of not being involved. It’s not only my advice, it is about how we are sharing with the owners and the sporting directors.”