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Football London
Football London
Sport
Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

Marina Granovskaia can repeat Hakim Ziyech transfer trick to seal Thomas Tuchel's first signing

Chelsea have a few more days to finally get busy in the January transfer window.

So far this month, the Blues have been focusing their attention on outgoings with midfielder Danny Drinkwater the most high-profile departure - aside from Frank Lampard's sacking - as he's joined Turkish Super Lig club Kasimpasa on loan.

And having splashed out over £200m last summer, there may not be too much cash for Thomas Tuchel to spend as he looks to make his first signing as Chelsea head coach.

Speaking ahead of Sunday's game at home to Burnley, Tuchel was asked about his transfer plans and suggested that he's happy with his squad - although he didn't rule anything out.

Tuchel not scared of challenge ahead at Chelsea

"It's hard to judge for me right now because we have had one game and two training sessions," the German told reporters. "I'm very happy with what I've seen so far in those training sessions, the game yesterday, the performance, the attitude and the talent and potential.

"I think the squad is not too big, right now we have N'Golo Kante came back today.

"So we have 22 players plus the goalkeepers, that is regarding our programme with three competitions absolutely not too much.

"I have the feeling right now that the guys deserve to be trusted and I want to trust everybody.

"If a possibility comes along that we all agree on making us stronger right away, okay, we will not hesitate I'm sure, but it's not like we have the absolute need to do something."

Could one of those possibilities be signing RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano?

Well, prior to the sacking of Lampard it appeared that the Frenchman would be one of Marina Granovskaia's main transfer missions this summer.

Upamecano has been linked with a move to Chelsea in recent weeks, and the Guardian have claimed that he could leave for a cut-price £37.4m at the end of the season.

However, the Blues could face competition from Bayern, Liverpool as well as Manchester United for Upamecano's signature.

With that said, there is a way Chelsea can win the race and that's by repeating a transfer trick that served them so well a year ago when they signed Hakim Ziyech.

Having not made a single first-team squad addition in the first transfer window of 2020, just days later is was confirmed that the Blues had agreed a £33.4m fee with Ajax for the playmaker who officially completed his move in the summer.

Could history be about to repeat itself to hand Tuchel his first signing as Chelsea manager?

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