Chelsea transfer news: Stick or twist? Why a January logjam could force Frank Lampard’s hand

Blues’ first-choice targets are unavailable until the summer, making any departures difficult, so do they gamble on alternative targets or hope Lampard can sustain a top-four place until the end of the season?

Morris claims Lampard is not afraid to play the bad cop (Reuters)

This weekend, Burnley present Chelsea with a problem that’s become all too familiar. A well-organised, deep-lying defensive side, offering few easy cracks and poised for the counter. It’s a blueprint in both attack and defence that’s already been perfectly executed by West Ham, Bournemouth and Southampton at Stamford Bridge this season when Frank Lampard’s young side have lacked imagination and an incisive spark.

Ever since the club’s transfer ban was lifted last month, Lampard has made no secret of his desire to refresh a squad many see as having outperformed expectations. The revival of a £150m ”war-chest” was quickly splashed across the back pages and no later had the drip-feed of targets filtered through. In fact, by mid-December, the club’s shortlist was effectively well known: a striker to compete with Tammy Abraham, a left-back to usurp Emerson and Marcos Alonso, and a world-class playmaker to fill the void left by Eden Hazard. They, along with a new centre-back, were the players Lampard identified to re-shape his fun, exciting squad into a more ruthless image. And yet, despite such a clear strategy, the club finds itself locked in something of a stalemate.

Timo Werner, who has scored a remarkable 23 goals in 25 games this season, is set to remain at RB Leipzig as the club challenges for a first Bundesliga title. Another striker scouted by Chelsea, Moussa Dembele, is unlikely to be sold this month due to an injury crisis at Lyon. Meanwhile, the same impasse can be found at left-back, with Leicester insistent that Ben Chilwell stays as they attempt to cement a Champions League spot.

With Jadon Sancho, the situation is more complicated due to such widespread interest in the 19-year-old. The Independent has been told by a source at Borussia Dortmund that Chelsea are currently seen as the most likely suitor. Yet, in each position, Chelsea are by no means guaranteed of signing any of the aforementioned players come the summer.

The logjam has forced the club into a type of stick-or-twist predicament, where they will have to gamble on alternative targets or hope Lampard can sustain a top-four place until the end of the season. Wilfried Zaha remains desperate to join an elite club and, as The Independent revealed last month, intermediaries have been in contact with Chelsea in an attempt to engineer a move. However, Crystal Palace’s stubborn £80m evaluation is considered exorbitant and the common consensus is that Chelsea would rather wait for Sancho.

Bayer Leverkusen’s Leon Bailey and Villarreal’s Samuel Chukwueze have both been considered but remain unlikely. Thomas Lemar has been offered to London clubs on a loan deal, with The Independent revealing that a loan fee of £5m with a £50m option-to-buy is being touted. The 24-year-old could provide a perfect short-term solution, however, the Atletico Madrid winger has been in woeful form and there are obvious concerns over whether he could hit the ground running.

The lack of progress is also preventing the exit of players that have fallen out of favour. Olivier Giroud and Michy Batshuayi are both for sale and it’s possible the former’s departure – his agent was pictured with Inter Milan officials yesterday – might yet be sanctioned without an immediate replacement, with the 33-year-old playing less than 300 minutes of football so far this season.

However, there’s an understandable reluctance to sell any other members of the squad without certainty over new arrivals. Marcos Alonso has been sidelined while Emerson has often been rotated to allow for Reece James to play at right-back. Both have attracted firm interest from Italy but will have been forced to recognise that their chances of securing a move away this month are slim.

Frank Lampard has made clear his desire to bring in new players in January (Reuters)

And so, despite those three positions initially targeted, the return of Nathan Ake is left as Chelsea’s most likely piece of business this month. The Dutchman’s £40m buy-back clause remains attractive and unaffected by the January window’s inflation, he’s familiar with many of the players and staff from his days in the academy, and is capable of covering at left-back. With the sale of either Alonso - who’s thought to be below Emerson in the pecking order – or Andreas Christensen, who’s reported to have recently attracted interest from overseas, a significant portion of any outlay could at least in theory be immediately recouped.

However, Lampard rebuffed any possibility of Christensen leaving in his press conference on Friday afternoon, insisting he’s “always liked” the 23-year-old. “I can rule it out,” Lampard said. “I like Andreas as a player; I’ve always liked him. I used to train with him and saw the talent coming through.”

But whether Ake’s arrival alone could be enough to reinforce a top-four finish remains unclear. It’s also why on and off the field the club’s series of upcoming fixtures, starting with Burnley tomorrow, could prove so pivotal. It’s a deadlock, a test of patience, and ultimately the risk of whether waiting for the right targets could prove the wrong decision. A poor performance on Saturday could go a long way to forcing Chelsea’s hand.