Managing Chelsea as Jeremy Jacquet transfer completed and £44m star signs deal

How Chelsea can strengthen their squad, keep one of their top stars happy and move on players who are not in the club’s plans

Liam Rosenior has plenty to sort out after replacing Enzo Maresca as Chelsea boss.

Despite the club’s vast expenditure under its current ownership, there are glaring issues in the squad that need to be resolved. Wednesday’s drab Champions League win over Pafos did little to lift the mood at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues’ hopes of avoiding the play-off round are in the balance ahead of the final round of league matches next week. Meanwhile, they are out of the title race and have it all to do in their Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Arsenal, having lost the first 3-2 at home. Here are some of the key items on the new head coach’s to-do list…

Centre-back arrives

Having not granted Maresca’s wish in the summer, Chelsea are chasing a central defender this month. Rennes’ Jeremy Jacquet is at the top of their wish list and has reportedly already agreed personal terms with the club.

However, crucially, no transfer fee has been agreed between the two sides. Chelsea are believed to value the player at £43million while Rennes are holding out for £52m, potentially opening the door to other suitors. Liverpool and Arsenal are among the other clubs to be linked with the 20-year-old Frenchman.

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One plan being mooted to get a deal over the line involves Chelsea signing this month and then loaning him back to Rennes for the rest of the season, reports RMC Sport .

While that scenario wouldn’t solve the Blues’ defensive issues in the short term, it would be a wise move to land one of the most in-demand young players in Europe.

Tie Reece James down

There are fears that James may be getting itchy feet if Chelsea continue to fall short in the Premier League. After overcoming various injury issues, the £44m-rated star has been one of the Blues’ most reliable performers this season.

The same cannot be said for all of his teammates. The club needs to prove he can realise his ambitions at Stamford Bridge. While he has more than two years left to run on his current deal, a new contract would help secure his future, or at least avert the possibility of him leaving on the cheap.

Another clearout

Given the churn of players at Stamford Bridge, a clearout is an annual occurrence. With some players clearly not in the club’s plans, it would be prudent to move them on as soon as possible.

They include striker David Datro Fofana, who has been recalled from his loan at Turkish side Fatih Karagumruk with a view to selling him this month. Leicester City are among the clubs to be linked with the Ivorian.

Another striker, Tyrique George, is available and has been linked with Bournemouth, who are in the market for a forward after selling Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City. Crystal Palace and Fulham are also potential destinations.

Sterling stalemate sorted

Raheem Sterling still doesn’t appear to have a future at the club, despite the departure of Maresca. Rosenior said earlier this week that things “will be clearer in the next couple of days,” suggesting the former Manchester City winger could finally be on his way out of the club this month.

It’s hard to blame a player earning £325,000 per week for not being overly eager to move on but something has to change if he is to revive a career that hasn’t just hit a roadblock, but is in reverse.

Both parties need to come together to hammer out a compromise, whether to terminate his contract or facilitate a transfer or loan move.

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