Glen Johnson believes Chelsea will back new boss Liam Rosenior with ‘one or two’ signings before the January transfer window shuts.
Chelsea are yet to make any January signings but have often waited until the end of transfer windows to complete business under Todd Boehly.
Rosenior took over at Stamford Bridge earlier in the month after Enzo Maresca left his role on New Year’s Day.
Former Strasbourg and Hull City manager Rosenior oversaw wins over Charlton and Brentford either side of a Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg defeat to Arsenal.
Johnson believes Rosenior is in charge of ‘one of the strongest squads in the Premier League’ but still reckons the new boss will be keen to strengthen before the January window closes on February 2.
The ex-Chelsea defender believes Stamford Bridge chiefs will be prepared to meet Rosenior’s transfer demands and complete ‘sensible’ deals for ‘one of two’ players.
‘I think Chelsea will back Liam Rosenior in the transfer window as long as it’s a sensible transfer,’ Johnson told Metro on behalf of WDW Bingo. ‘Chelsea have always backed their managers.
Get your football fix
Don’t want to miss the week’s biggest football stories? Metro’s exclusive football newsletter, In The Mixer, is your essential guide.
From the latest transfer rumours and managerial moves to analysis of the biggest games and a lot more, our experts have you covered.
Sign up here, it’s an open goal.
‘But they aren’t going to give him a war chest in his first transfer window, they’ll want to see what he brings first. I think they’ll make one or two signings this month just to give Liam some of his own players.
‘Liam and everyone at the club knows that Chelsea already have a brilliant squad, and we have seen glimpses of how good they can be under Maresca earlier in the season.
‘So, I think Liam’s job is to get the team back to that kind of form. He needs to get the players all enjoying their football again and then achieve positive results consistently.
‘Once he has them in good form, they’ll be extremely hard to beat with the talent they have all over the pitch.
‘They have a really nice blend of older, more experienced players and youth throughout the squad, and every player is talented.
‘They’ve been ruthless in offloading and isolating players, and I think they have one of the strongest squads in the league.
‘However, Liam has to get them winning now, that’s the only thing he will be focusing on, and any transfer business will be a bonus for him.’
One of Chelsea’s main January targets is Rennes centre-back Jeremy Jacquet, who is also being monitored by Arsenal.
But Chelsea appear to be leading the race to sign the future France international, having agreed personal terms with the player ahead of negotiations with Rennes.
Chelsea have so far shown a reluctance to pay over £50m for Jacquet but Rennes, currently sixth in Ligue 1, want around £56m to sanction his departure.
Who could leave Chelsea this month?
While Chelsea are yet to make any January signings, they have offloaded loanee Facundo Buonanotte following his underwhelming spell in west London.
Chelsea paid a loan fee to sign Buonanotte from Brighton last summer but he has now returned to his parent club ahead of a summer move to Leeds United.
The Blues, currently sixth in the Premier League, are open to offers for Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi but have struggled to offload two members of Maresca’s ‘bomb squad’.
Sterling won four Premier League titles at Manchester City but has struggled since his £50m move to Stamford Bridge in 2022.
The 31-year-old winger hoped to revive his career on loan at Arsenal last season but only contributed one goal for the Gunners in 28 appearances in all competitions.
Asked where Sterling could end up, Johnson added: ‘I’m not sure where I see Raheem’s next move in football being. We have been talking about him for a few years now in this way, and he is still at Chelsea.
‘He has 18 months left on his contract, so it will all depend on what he wants as to where his next move is. He could just see his contract out, but I think he will want to get back playing again as soon as possible.
‘As for the move, I’m not sure. I think if he wants to push to go to the World Cup, then he needs to play consistently in the Premier League.
‘However, he might be sick of the relentless fight in the Premier League at this stage in his career and potentially move somewhere less competitive.
‘It completely depends on where his head is at. I am such a big fan of Sterling, and I always have been. I’ve been saying for years that I think he has got loads to give at the highest level of football.
‘I think it would be a shame if he moved abroad to the MLS or Saudi Arabia right now. I would love to see him do a few more years in the Premier League before winding down his career.’
Chelsea face a crucial Champions League game against Pafos on Wednesday before returning to Premier League action at the weekend against London rivals Crystal Palace.
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
