Chelsea have been advised they need to sign three players in the next transfer window, with Liam Rosenoir told the key areas of the squad needing to be addressed.
The London club have not been scared of spending during the transfer window, with the club prioritising young players. However, despite winning the 2024-25 Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup, alongside Champions League qualification, the current campaign has seen the Blues slip out of the high gears and into reverse.
Chelsea have struggled in the Premier League but have reached the FA Cup semi-finals, with a day out at Wembley against Leeds being lined up.
Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Manchester City. (Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images)
Despite this, Ex-Blues captain Desailly, who spent six years at the Bridge between 1998 and 2004, believes that changes need to be made to the club’s recruitment strategy.
Talking exclusively to GOAL, the World Cup-winning Frenchman said when asked how and where Chelsea need to improve: “More than the goalkeeper, first of all they have to take, if he’s new, they have to take an experienced goalkeeper who breeds confidence – we need confidence.
“And not only the goalkeeper, you need a central defender with experience, you need a striker with experience, to help [Enzo] Fernandez – who, I would say, is the only experienced player that we have in the squad. [Reece] James is okay, but he’s on and off, you know what I mean?
Liam Rosenior reacts on the touchline to a disallowed goal during the Premier League match at Sunderland (Photo by John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images)
“They did well last season, unbelievable season, but they need four experienced players in the squad to match with the young, talented players that we have in the side. [Pedro] Neto is experienced, Estevao, very good player also. [Cole] Palmer, he stays or he goes, no problem, but you cannot have doubt. But who is surrounding them? They are not natural leaders.
“The new era, the modern football project, you need five or six years of Premier League experience. They don’t have that, they are young players. [Moises] Caicedo, he had a great season last year, but this year he’s down. Why is he down? Because Fernandez, as an experienced player, is not staying by his side. James sometimes plays in the midfield, but he goes forward. So he’s been left alone.
“They need to be surrounding each line with experienced players. This will make the coach have more choice to put up his tactical setup. He’s only got young players.”
Desailly added on Chelsea revising their approach when it comes to squad building: “They had a project four years ago that they are going to buy young players for [Mauricio] Pochettino to eventually try and grow them, even though they bought them very expensive. They don’t mind because the value will rise according to the success that they will get.
“Last year that was the case. It has given them the belief that what they were doing was not that stupid. There were people who said Chelsea are completely mad, what are they doing buying players at that price? But last season it got confused.
“They made a mistake now on keeping the belief that they could continue with that grade of players, so talented and young. It’s not enough.”
