Managing Chelsea: Liam Rosenior given January war chest as Marc Guehi deal 'agreed' and four leave

The Chelsea sporting directors, Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, must back Liam Rosenior in the January transfer window

Liam Rosenior has plenty of work to do before the January transfer window slams shut. The Chelsea boss will get a first look at his new squad in action when the Blues lock horns with Fulham at Craven Cottage on Wednesday night.

Those who failed to establish themselves as key players under Enzo Maresca will be eager to make a great first impression and potentially secure a place in Rosenior's first starting lineup. The 41-year-old will make his debut as Chelsea boss at The Valley in the FA Cup on Saturday afternoon.

Meanwhile, those who were previously regulars will be under pressure to retain their spot. The next two to three weeks could make or break the futures of some at Stamford Bridge.

With every competition still to play for, Rosenior can't afford to have any passengers. So, with that being said, football.london has looked at how Chelsea should navigate the January transfer window.

Chelsea sign two marquee players

Chelsea need to sign a world-class centre-back this month. Trevoh Chalobah and Wesley Fofana have shown glimpses of great promise this season, but neither has performed consistently at the very highest level.

To stand a chance of winning either the Premier League or the UEFA Champions League, Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart need to significantly upgrade the heart of the backline. Until then, Rosenior, like Maresca, will have his hands tied.

Unfortunately, there aren't many world-class centre-backs on the market. So, in the meantime, Chelsea should sign Marc Guehi, who could be available for a discounted price, having recently entered the final six months of his contract at Crystal Palace.

The Club World Cup champions could also do with a new left winger. Chelsea forked out almost £100m on Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens in the summer, yet neither grabbed Maresca by the scruff of the neck and commanded a regular place in the starting lineup.

Kenan Yildiz would be an excellent addition to the squad. The 20-year-old attacking midfielder, who can operate on the left and behind the striker, has featured 17 times for Juventus in the Serie A this season, scoring six goals and providing four assists.

Rosenior reshuffles the backline

If Chelsea are to sign a new centre-back this month, Rosenior will need to offload a few players. Tosin Adarabioyo has hardly covered himself in glory this season.

During one particular period, the 28-year-old defender started three out of eight matches for the Blues. Chelsea conceded nine goals, with eight of them coming when he started in the backline.

Tosin, who has two-and-a-half years or so left on his contract at Stamford Bridge, joined the Blues from Fulham on a free in the summer of 2024, so any sale would go down as profit on the club's books.

Badiashile could also face somewhat of an uncertain future, despite showing glimpses of great promise. The 24-year-old defender has struggled to stay fit since joining Chelsea from Monaco for £35m in January 2023.

That said, he has done well when called upon. Badiashile played a key role in the 2-1 win over Liverpool in October and the 1-1 draw to Manchester City in January.

Ultimately, though, he and Tosin would likely be the first to make way for a new centre-back at Stamford Bridge, with Josh Acheampong and Jorrel Hato primed for more minutes, and Levi Colwill expected to return in the summer.

Axel Disasi and Raheem Sterling should also be offloaded this month. The duo were exiled from Maresca's squad after they failed to find new clubs in the summer.

Chelsea finally gear up for title bid

If the Chelsea sporting directors can sign a world-class centre-back and a top left-winger this month, then Rosenior will have no excuse not to compete for some silverware. Under Maresca, the Blues always rose to the occasion, but they often struggled against the so-called 'lesser teams'.

With a couple of high-profile additions and a streamlined squad, Chelsea could finally bridge the gap between themselves and the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City...