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Ben Chilwell's injury will cost Chelsea at least £50m in the form of replacing him with Milan's Theo Hernandez unless the Blues are willing to recall Ian Maatsen or Emerson from their respective loan clubs.
Barcelona apparently have unfinished business with the Premier League despite their move for Manchester City forward Ferran Torres as reports claim they are looking to swoop for Cesar Azpilicueta and Andreas Christensen.
And finally, some good news. John Terry has returned "home" and is ready to get to work with the club's academy prospects.
Potential Ben Chilwell replacement 'will cost £50M'
According to Tuttosport (via MilanNews), Chelsea have made an inquiry for AC Milan left-back Theo Hernandez. It has been reported that Ben Chilwell will in fact need surgery for his anterior cruciate ligament rupture, meaning that he will likely be out for the rest of the season. With that in mind, the Blues will have to move fast and be forward-thinking in the upcoming January transfer window.
Theo Hernandez looks to be the best fit for a replacement but the Serie A highflyers won’t sell the Frenchman for less than €60m (£50m) according to the report in the Italian press. This is roughly the same amount of money used to purchase Chilwell from Leicester City in the first place.
Our take: The left-wing-back situation at Chelsea is a tricky and delicate one. We have several options for January which include recalling two of our players who are currently on loan. However, it may be best to look for a long-term solution so that we never have to worry about a back-up in the position again. If that means paying the asking price for Theo Hernandez, then so be it.
Azpilicueta and Christensen linked with moves to Barcelona
Just as we thought our defensive issues couldn't get any worse, Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta is reportedly being courted by Barcelona ahead of a possible move in the summer. The Spaniard's contract will be ending at the end of this season and while the 30-year-old would enjoy an extension with Chelsea, Barcelona are prepared to swoop for his signature on a Bosman. It has also been reported by Sport that talks with Azpilicueta and fellow Blues stopper Andreas Christensen have reached an advanced stage.
Our take: I expected some sort of interest in our club captain but with the uncertainty of Antonio Rudiger and Christensen's own futures at the club, this news has arrived as a potentially significant blow.
Can Chelsea afford to lose all three of these defensive options at the end of the season? With Rudiger already seemingly one foot out the door, the news couldn't be worse and I can only hope that there is some sort of contingency in place in case the worst happens.
John Terry makes his return to Cobham
Chelsea's most esteemed Cobham graduate has made his return to the Blues in a consultancy role for the club's academy. The former Chelsea captain made an announcement on Twitter where he stated, "I'm coming home." In his consultancy role, he will be delivering on-field coaching sessions and will be involved in coaching discussions and mentoring academy players to help with their pathway to the first-team setup.
Our take: It's kind of romantic to see John Terry return home in this way. Who better to mentor Chelsea's future stars than the man who made a successful career after graduating from the academy? I see this as an opportunity for the younger generation as JT is living proof of a success story to have come through the ranks at this club. He is someone for the youth to look up to and aspire to emulate his successes by working closely with him.
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