Maresca “has convinced the Chelsea board” over January transfer – analysis

TeamTalk are today reporting that Chelsea have been persuaded by their manager to add a new defender in January.

“Enzo Maresca has successfully convinced the Chelsea board to sign a new central defender in the January transfer window and Joel Ordonez is emerging as their main target,” they write.

Chelsea not likely to be adding more central defender depth

Joel Ordonez in action for Ecuador. (Photo by Franklin Jacome/Getty Images)

Now, while Club Brugge’s Ordonez is certainly a very interesting player, that’s not what we’re going to focus on here.

We’re going to look at the general ideal that Maresca has “convinced” the Chelsea board to sign a new defender in January. That’s something we really struggle to believe.

Maresca knew what he was signing up to when he was given the big promotion to manage Chelsea. He would get plenty of input on signings, but it’s not his decision. He can make his case, but that’s it.

We saw him push for a new defender with some comments in the summer after Levi Colwill’s injury, but without much luck. What makes anyone think that January will be any different?

While there is a very convincing argument that Chelsea need a top class centre back if they want to win the league, if those in charge of transfers didn’t think that in the summer, what makes us think they’ll have changed their mind since?

Chelsea survived defender depth scare

We’ve just been through an exceptional period of absences at the back, but from next week we should have Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo and Benoit Badiashile competing, with Jorrel Hato and Josh Acheampong as backups.

Then there’s Levi Colwill to return from injury, Aaron Anselmino to return from loan and Mamadou Sarr to arrive next summer.

If nothing else, that’s a lot of bodies.