Victor Osimhen signs, Thiago Silva coaching role, Liverpool revenge – Chelsea 2024 predictions
The pace of change at Chelsea has refused to slow down in 2023 and 2024 could be set to continue in the same fashion as Mauricio Pochettino and co look to improve, win a trophy and find a way into Europe as more transfers await
While 2023 may have been a less eventful year in the history of Chelsea in comparison to 2022, it certainly could not be called quiet. The Blues have seen four different figures in the Stamford Bridge dugout and have a brand new squad as they enter 2024 with Mauricio Pochettino.
Chelsea wasted little time in making an impact 12 months ago as they landed the likes of Noni Madueke, Mykhailo Mudryk, Benoit Badiashile and others, before splashing out more than £100million on Enzo Fernandez. Of course, that was not to be the only time Chelsea completed a nine-figure transfer.
Midtable mediocrity has been the order of the day however, and the west London side will hope to move beyond that in 2024. There has been no shortage of chaos during the ownership of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, but Pochettino could find their first piece of silverware. Chelsea are already in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup and must navigate their way past Middlesbrough to reach the final.
Away from the club, the Blues’ owners even completed the purchase of another club in Strasbourg. Could there be more to come on that front? football.london‘s writers have predicted what could happen over the course of 2024 for the Blues.
Scott Trotter – Chelsea writer
In my 2023 precictions I managed to get little right outside of that a rollercoaster awaited and that a lot can change very quickly. While I did succeed in some claims, predicting Graham Potter to still be in charge come the close of the year did not turn out to be my finest moment.
For 2024, more transfers are sure to arrive as Chelsea plan for now and the future, while speculation will continue to arrive over homegrown stars. However, Conor Gallagher will continue to prove himself in the Blues midfield, but it could be the year that Trevoh Chalobah leaves the club.
It’s difficult to see the club flying up the table in time for the end of May but with the return of Christopher Nkunku and others, Chelsea should begin to show some progress up the table and an appearance in the Carabao Cup final will arrive. The club have found a way in the competition so far and with the likes of Cole Palmer showing plenty of ability from the spot, a shooutout win over Liverpool awaits.
With trophies always comes chaos, and the club will have to try and find some stability too if they hope to develop sustainably. It would be little surprise to see a mega-money signing but just as important will be seeing Mauricio Pochettino allowed to consolidate his squad so that this young group can grow.
Bobby Vincent – Chelsea writer
Well it’s surely only going to get better. Right?
I mean, it has to. And Chelsea now have Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku. And a few others, too. But even after spending all this money, the squad still needs improving.
Namely a striker and namely Victor Osimhen would be ideal. I could certainly see something like that happening in the summer. The Napoli striker continues to be a hot topic on Chelsea supporters’ lips but a move this month is very unlikely.
Chelsea will not rush their pursuit of a striker and if the right player is not available this month, then they will wait until the end of the season. A centre-back is too on the agenda for the January window, which is not expected to be as busy as 12 months ago or the summer.
In terms of the head coach, Mauricio Pochettino will still be in charge in a year. It’s a bold prediction given Chelsea’s recent history with managers and the fact that Pochettino has come under early pressure from the supporters.
I genuinely believe, though, that there are not too many – if any – better options for the club right now. Pochettino has proven at every club he has been at that he is a fantastic man-manager and there are early indications with the likes of Palmer and Mykhailo Mudryk that his expertise is rubbing off on them.
Tom Coley – Chelsea US writer
Twelve months ago I said that 2023 would not and could not be as bad as 2022 for Chelsea. I was very wrong, very wrong indeed. At least, even in one of the darkest periods in recent memory for the club, Chelsea are heading into the new year on a point of strength with four wins from five, a home record gaining strength and Cole Palmer.
However, when it comes to what follows it is much tougher to predict. This team – this club – is so unstable at present, so inconsistent and unreliable that predictions are a fools game. Nevertheless, here go a few.
Thiago Silva will not be a Chelsea player come the end of the year. He might stay on in a coaching role but I cannot see him playing in the Premier League at 40. Maybe he stays on in a John Terry – hardly even playing – playing role of 2016/17 but if he has aspirations of heading back to Brazil for a final farewell I think it comes this summer.
From the season itself Chelsea are primed to make a Carabao Cup final and winning that is not out of the question. If it’s Liverpool as expected heading to Wembley from the other semi then there’s a blockbuster in store. Chelsea and Liverpool have such history, both recent and historic, that it could be one to remember. What a load of confidence a trophy for this group would do.
The FA Cup as well should be within Chelsea’s sights. No European football means full steam ahead for domestic competitions. I think Chelsea can at least make the semis in that too and give their fans two trips to Wembley this year if not more.
In the league it’d be nice to push onto around eighth and show some fight. Pochettino will have impressed many if he can do that with the rag-tag bunch at his disposal. The Argentine will be in charge come January 2025 and Chelsea will be in the fight for the top four/five at this stage next season.
Conor Gallagher is still a Chelsea player at that point too, maybe even with a new long-term contract firmly under his belt. Really, though, who knows?
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Liverpool transfer news as $66m move now ‘very likely’ and ‘contact made’ over ex Everton man
Liverpool transfer news: A target is now considered likely to move in January, and the Reds are on the scene. They could also pursue a former Everton player.
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Liverpool will look to extend its advantage at the top of the table to five points today. The gap isn’t quite as big as it seems, with Manchester City still needing to play its game in hand at some point after the Brentford match was postponed due to Club World Cup commitments, but it would be a very healthy position in which to end New Year’s Day.
In truth, Jürgen Klopp probably won’t be thinking about Liverpool’s rivals very much at all. But if he were, he would no doubt expect Manchester City to come back strongly in the second half of the season. The Reds may need to pick up in turn if they are to keep their position at the Premier League summit.
Now into January, Klopp once again has the option of signing new players to bolster that effort. He’s clearly very content with the rebuilt Liverpool squad, but there are still areas that require long-term attention — while injuries have created some short-term strains as well.
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Defense seems to offer the biggest opportunity to make a signing for the future who can also help out straight away. Sure enough, Klopp is being linked with adding two players to his back line, albeit of fairly different profiles. One would (technically) cross the Everton divide. Here is the Liverpool.com verdict on the transfer gossip to emerge around the Reds today.
Gonçalo Inácio (Sporting)
Gonçalo Inácio has been linked to Liverpool since the start of last summer. In the meantime, Sporting has increased his release clause, which now stands at $66m (£52m/€60m).
However, far from securing his long-term future, Inácio is now considered ‘very likely’ to leave in January. That’s according to the print edition of O Jogo, via Paisley Gates.
Sporting has already signed Rafael Silva, potentially as a replacement. And Liverpool is ‘pressing’ to get Inácio this month. However, there is also ‘repeated interest’ from Arsenal and Real Madrid.
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Liverpool.com says: Not Real Madrid again… Liverpool has been in far too many transfer races against the Spanish giant recently. None have ended well.
It remains to be seen whether Los Blancos also ‘press’ for a deal, but with David Alaba injured, it would make sense for all the same reasons a Liverpool move would add up. Both clubs have the chance to ease the injury situation while also securing a long-term option at the heart of the defense.
As a left-footer, Inácio has an added perk. Klopp has been happy to use Virgil van Dijk on the left for years, but if his eventual successor preferred his left foot, it would add a little bit of balance. There’s also the possibility the 22-year-old could cover at left-back, with Klopp’s current system demanding that position sometimes becomes a third center-back.
Antonee Robinson (Fulham)
With no senior dedicated left-backs fit, Klopp could turn to Antonee Robinson of Fulham. That’s according to 90MIN. Liverpool has supposedly already made ‘contact’ with Fulham to sound out a move. Meanwhile, the player himself would be open to making the switch — particularly notable since he spent more than a decade at Everton as a youngster, albeit never making a first-team appearance.
Klopp is currently relying on Joe Gomez on the left in the absence of both Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas. However, the Scot is expected back around the end of the month.
Liverpool.com says: It’s certainly tricky for Klopp without Robertson or Tsimikas, but a dedicated transfer solution would be odd. It would leave whoever joined in an awkward position when both other left-backs returned.
In fairness, Robertson will turn 30 in March, so Liverpool will want to think about the long-term solution at some point. But Robinson is 26 himself, so wouldn’t offer the most convincing of succession plans.
All that said, the American has been very impressive for Fulham. It’s fair to say Everton probably regrets letting him go, and that loss could still be Liverpool’s gain, though the expectation is that the Reds will not sign a left-back this month.
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