We always maintained that January would largely be a month of shuffling around assets at Chelsea , and while there are surprisingly strong links to a major bid for Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet , otherwise that does look set to be the case.
Raheem Sterling in preseason with Chelsea.
The Athletic's "Deal Sheet" covers a lot of the potential action at Cobham this month. One hilarious line we liked is that "the plan is for winger Raheem Sterling, who has been left out of the senior squad since the start of the season, to leave for good in this window."
Well yeah. It was also the plan in the last window. And the window before that. And the window before that. But no permanent deal has ever even come close. The idea it's only now become their "plan" is hilarious. Getting the former Man City man's £300,000 a week wages off their books has been Chelsea's priority for years.
We don't see any reason why it might happen now as opposed to in the summer or any window before. The only way a permanent deal will be worked out is if Sterling agrees to take a huge wage cut, or if a team are willing to pay him his vast salary. We'd be very surprised if that happens, and it certainly isn't looking likely to happen in the next 10 days.
Chelsea's focus this month seems to be on signing a defender, but according to some that's not the only position they're looking to strengthen this year.
Speaking of creative attacking players and their injuries, Palmer is back and playing now, but looks miles off it, both physically and mentally. It's the first time we've really been worried about him since he burst onto the scene at Chelsea.
