Managing Chelsea – ‘Next Messi’ signs for £38million as cult hero agrees return

How an ideal next few months could pan out for Chelsea, who have been linked with the ‘Greek Messi’ and a familiar face

Forecasting what Chelsea will do in a transfer window is a hazardous pursuit. As things stand, it could be a quiet one for the Blues, who are chasing glory on multiple fronts heading into 2026.

It’s been a solid, though not spectacular, first half of the season for Enzo Maresca’s side, who are in the thick of the race for a Champions League spot, albeit surely out of the title race.

Injuries and some underwhelming displays have exposed weaknesses and gaps in the squad, necessitating action in both the current transfer window and the summer one. Mirror Football looks at how things could ideally pan out for the Blues over the next month and beyond…

‘Next Messi’ signs

Chelsea are usually sniffing around when a talented teenager starts making waves. And a player who has been likened to none other than Lionel Messi is believed to be on the Blues’ radar.

Konstantinos Karetsas, 18, was born in Belgium but has recently switched his international football allegiance to Greece, the country of his parents’ birth. The teenager currently plays for Genk, but it is only a matter of time before he is snapped up by one of European football’s big guns.

Arsenal were reportedly close to signing him for £38million in the summer but a move failed to come to fruition, opening the door for the likes of Chelsea, who boast a track record of plucking talented youngsters out of Belgian football. Signing the exciting attacking midfielder, either in January or the summer, would be a real statement of intent.

Cult hero agrees to return

Antonio Rudiger, 32, could find himself back at Stamford Bridge in the summer amid uncertainty over his Real Madrid future. The German centre-back, a Champions League winner with the Blues in 2021, is out of contract in the summer.

That has alerted numerous clubs, which reportedly include Chelsea. According to Spanish outlet AS, Rudiger is on the radar of Galatasaray, Paris Saint-Germain, plus several Saudi Pro League clubs.

But a return to Stamford Bridge would surely appeal, given the esteem he was held in by Chelsea fans prior to his Madrid move in 2022. His experience and attitude would help shore up a sometimes fragile rearguard.

Sterling situation resolved

The continued impasse in Raheem Sterling’s situation is unhelpful for both the player and the club, and it needs to be resolved as soon as possible. You can’t blame a player earning £325,000 per week for not being in a great rush to move, but something needs to give if he is to salvage a career that hasn’t just stalled, but is actually going in reverse.

Ideally, both parties need to come together to thrash out a compromise, whether that be to sever his contract or grease the wheels for a transfer or loan move.

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