“He has played in the World Cup and UCL final and he’s the best midfielder in the world. Pep tried to sign him serval times but didn’t succeed”- Chelsea are set to sign the best midfielder in the world- Player prefers to join Chelsea over Man City
Chelsea went on a transfer splurge in the January window, bringing in more players than any other Premier League team, but their eight signings have had mixed fortunes since arriving
Chelsea’s January transfer splurge appears to be paying dividends, with the Blues enjoying an upturn in fortunes under Graham Potter in recent weeks.
The Premier League side signed eight players, breaking their transfer record in the process to boost their squad amid a disappointing campaign. No other team signed as many players as the Blues, with the next highest amount of incomings at a club being six.
The eight that Chelsea signed have had mixed fortunes since arriving at Stamford Bridge just over a month ago. Here, Mirror Football looks at how each of the new January signings have fared in their first weeks with the Premier League giants.
Midfielder Enzo Fernandez became Chelsea’s record signing when he was brought in from Benfica at the end of January. He has made nine appearances so far, notching two assists in the Premier League.
The Argentine has been at the heart of the Blues’ turnaround under Potter. And the Englishman has duly singled him out for praise, particularly after the dominant win at Leicester.
“He’s a fantastic player, and he’s a young player. He’s gonna get better and better as he is with us more cause he’s just arrived from another country, another league, he’s going to have to adapt to that,” Potter said.
“You can see his quality when gets the ball he can pass forward. He is progressive with his mentality, he gets the team moving and then he gives everything. It is a nice combination to have.”
Chelsea stole a march on Arsenal to sign Mykhaylo Mudryk from Shakhtar Dontesk, paying out £88million to bring in the winger. It has been a mixed start to life for the highly-rated Ukrainian so far though.
He has notched just one assist in seven games and has failed to feature in three of the Blues’ last four games. And Potter has conceded that Chelsea fans may have to wait until next season to see the best of him.
“He’s a player we believe in a lot. He’s adapting. When he arrived, he was in a start of a pre-season campaign. To hit the Premier League running, it’s not easy to do. Day by day he’s getting stronger,” he said earlier this month.
While he is ineligible to feature in the Champions League, Benoit Badiashile has become a key player in the Premier League. He has started seven games in the top-flight since his arrival, as well as making a cameo in the win over Leicester.
His performances have helped Chelsea to secure four clean sheets in the Premier League to help their bounceback to form. After helping the Blues to three successive shutout, Potter hailed the Frenchman.
“He brings a calmness, he’s good with the ball, he’s left footed so he gives us balance on that side. Attacking and defending, he’s had a solid start for us,” Potter said ahead of the draw with West Ham.
“Young player, you never know when they come into the country in a different situation, a different league, but so far he’s managed it really well. He’s a nice person, a calm, humble guy who wants to work and wants to improve. The signs are good.”
After being signed for more than £26m, Chelsea immediately sent Malo Gusto back on loan to Lyon. But he has failed to feature in their last six Ligue 1 games after being hit by injury and has admitted his apprehension at joining the Blues.
“The transfer to Chelsea was a bit last minute, although I had been talking to them for some time. It was a good proposal, with a good project behind it, that’s what influenced me on this choice,” Gusto told FootMercato.
“I know we are not where we should be right now. There is always a little apprehension. Chelsea is a very big club, I’m changing countries. But when I sign, I know what to expect, and I sign to play and win.”
Noni Madueke (PSV, £26m)
Winger Noni Madueke was the latest import from the Eredivise to move to the Premier League. But while former team-mate Cody Gakpo has roared into life at Liverpool, the Englishman has struggled to make much of an impact at Chelsea.
He has made four appearances in the Premier League so far, but is still without a goal or an assist. Potter though has insisted that Madueke is an exciting player who will add to his squad.
“Now I can speak about him because he’s a Chelsea player. He’s an exciting player and brings a left-footed attacking option for us and competition in that area of the pitch,” he said following the draw at Liverpool.
Andrey Santos (Vasco da Gama, £18m)
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