Mauricio Pochettino offers exciting update on Chelsea's January transfer business
- Chelsea could be busy in the January window after a difficult start to the season
- Blues are eyeing an expensive new striker & have been tipped to pursue a new left-back
- Club's finances are under scrutiny after three windows of heavy spending
By Tom Gott
Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino has insisted the Blues do not need to sell players before they buy new ones in the January transfer window.
The Blues have spent incredibly heavily since the arrival of the BlueCo ownership group but have not seen that investment translate to success on the pitch, with their failure to qualify for this season's Champions League handing an enormous blow to Chelsea's bank balance.
With Chelsea in the market for a new striker this month - Napoli's Victor Osimhen and Brentford's Ivan Toney are both expensive targets - many have speculated the Blues could be forced to sell players before spending in order to appease Financial Fair Play regulations, but Pochettino does not believe that to be the case.
"No, it is not like this," Pochettino said. "Like you know, too many rumours going around the clubs. It is not what [the owners] translate to me. It is not necessary to sell to buy some players.
"We keep a good relationship and I think everything is very well. Conversations, normal conversations that we need to have and if we decide something we will announce as soon as possible."
A new striker was high on Pochettino's wish list even before Nicolas Jackson departed for the Africa Cup of Nations and Christopher Nkunku suffered what is believed to be a minor hip injury.
Now with limited options in attack, Pochettino insisted Chelsea do not need to accelerate their plans and instead put his faith in academy graduate Armando Broja.
"We are assessing the squad like always," the boss explained. "We had a conversation with the owners and sporting directors yesterday and today and we are looking, like all teams, for options, opportunities.
"I am so happy because we have Broja, we have different players that can play in the striker position and we need our second line offensive players to help the team score goals and help to win games. I am very positive and happy with the squad. We are working, if something appears, we will announce. At the moment we are assessing and working normally, how we have been working from the beginning of the season."
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