Chelsea's transfer window managed by AI as Raheem Sterling quits and Jeremy Jacquet joins

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Chelsea have been linked with a number of January signings, but there's an argument that some positions are more immediately important than others

French defender Jeremy Jacquet has been strongly linked with Chelsea(Image: Daniela Porcelli/Getty Images)

We asked AI to take charge of transfers for Chelsea for the final week of the winter window and it made the following decisions for us:

1. It told us Chelsea should should prioritise Jeremy Jacquet , saying: I would immediately move to sign the Rennes centre-back to address our alarming lack of aerial dominance and defensive errors. His ball-playing ability is essential to replace the injured Levi Colwill and provide a steady presence alongside Wesley Fofana.
2. The next recommendation was to secure Douglas Luiz on Loan, given the current lack of midfield depth with Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo sidelined. Our AI assistant said bringing in Luiz from Juventus provides an experienced, low-risk solution that immediately strengthens our rotation without a massive upfront fee, while also recommending the following decisions…
3. Recommendation number three isn't a huge stretch, with the advice being to sell Axel Disasi in a permanent deal: Disasi has been training away from the first team but remains a high-value asset with interest from Lyon and Newcastle, meaning now could well be the time to cash in and generate significant funds to help balance the books after our heavy spending in previous windows.
4. Following Filip Jorgensen’s recent injury and his reported desire to leave, we need to recruit a short-term backup Goalkeeper to compete with Robert Sanchez, with Manchester City backup Stefan Ortega one of the names suggested. A six-month loan for an experienced "number two" has been put forward as a way to protect Chelsea from a goalkeeping crisis during the second half of the season.
5. Young centre-back Josh Acheampong has attracted interest from Crystal Palace and AI's advice is to keep Acheampong but send him on a strategic loan to a Premier League club where he is guaranteed starts. This allows him to develop valuable first-team experience without the pressure of being a backup at Stamford Bridge, though there may be some who feel he still has a role to play at his parent club.
6. Similar to the earlier point about Axel Disasi, Chelsea have been told to offload Raheem Sterling with the forward currently not in manager Liam Rosenior's plans while remaining one of the Blues' highest earners. A departure has been described as 'essential for our wage structure' with Chelsea told to facilitate a move to West Ham or Fulham, even if it requires a subsidized loan, just to get his career moving again.
7. Back to the defence, and there's a call to integrate Aaron Anselmino, with our assistant saying: Having already triggered his recall from Borussia Dortmund, I would keep him in the squad rather than sending him back out on loan. His return acts as a "free" January signing to bolster defensive numbers during Tosin Adarabioyo’s hamstring recovery.
8. Not all of the recommendations are for immediate signings, with Chelsea also told to monitor the Striker Market for Summer. While Dusan Vlahovic is an attractive free-agent target for June, AI suggests holding off on a panic-buy at striker this week. With Joao Pedro and Liam Delap already available, the Blues are urged to save their remaining budget for a world-class clinical finisher once the summer window opens.
9. READ MORE ON WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH CHELSEA’S TRANSFERS IN THE REAL WORLD: Chelsea learn dream N'Golo Kante scenario as Liam Rosenior outlines midfield transfer plans