The Athletic reveal the true reason behind Chelsea’s decision not to sign a midfielder in January | OneFootball

Chelsea opted against adding midfield depth in the January window because of the form of Andrey Santos and Romeo Lavia being close to a return according to The Athletic.

The Blues ended up making no signings in January despite making it clear they were looking to bring in a centre back.

Chelsea missed out on Jeremy Jacquet to Liverpool, and the only business they did was recalling Mamadou Sarr from his loan at Strasbourg.

Why Chelsea opted against midfield signing in January

It was reported the Blues were looking to add midfield depth in January because of the injury issues of Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo.

Chelsea made an approach for Douglas Luiz, but the Brazilian ended up joining Aston Villa on loan, whilst there were also links with N’Golo Kante.

Santos has put in some impressive performances this season. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

The Blues currently have three fit midfielders, whilst Reece James can also play there, so they’re taking a risk over the remainder of the season.

However, The Athletic have reported the Blues opted against adding depth in midfield because of the form of Andrey Santos, and the fact Romeo Lavia is nearing a return to fitness.

Lavia hasn’t featured since November and has played just 30 games for the Blues in two and a half years at Stamford Bridge.

Midfield a priority this summer

Whilst Chelsea opted against signing a midfielder last month, it’s thought they will sign another in the summer.

In fact it’s been reported they’ve made the position a priority, and are looking to ease the burden on Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo.

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Chelsea have been linked with the likes of Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton, but will face competition from other clubs for the duo.

It will be interesting to see who ends up joining, but it’s vital Chelsea bring in a player of proven quality who can make a difference.