Mauricio Pochettino put his Chelsea players on high alert following their dreary 2-0 defeat to Everton by stating that the club ‘needs to improve in the next transfer window’. With January just around the corner, Express Sport takes you through four Blues stars who could be on the chopping block…
Noni Madueke
Regular game time at PSV Eindhoven was traded for a spot on the fringes when Madueke signed for Chelsea in January. He finished last season strongly under interim boss Frank Lampard, but minutes have been hard to come by under Pochettino, who has handed him just one Premier League start all campaign.
Not every 21-year-old is given regular first-team football, but there are plenty of other youngsters getting a shot at Stamford Bridge while Madueke collects dust on the sidelines.
Armando Broja
Pochettino’s primary complaint after watching his side lose at Goodison Park was a lack of attacking potency. That doesn’t bode particularly well for Broja, who started the game up top but failed to come up with his second goal of the season.
The 22-year-old signed a long-term contract with Chelsea only last year, suggesting that any January departure would likely be on a temporary basis. With Nicolas Jackson leading the line, Christopher Nkunku returning to fitness and reinforcements potentially on the way, Broja could find himself slipping down the pecking order unless he proves to be worthy of the starting berth between now and the New Year.
Deivid Washington
In many ways it was a surprise to see the 18-year-old kept at Stamford Bridge, rather than sent on loan, when he arrived from Santos in the summer. But a temporary exit is surely on the cards after managing only nine minutes of Premier League football all season.
Although the Brazilian is tipped for a bright future, Pochettino is on the hunt for a more experienced solution as Chelsea aim to break into the top-half and make inroads towards the top-four.
