The end of the January transfer window is not likely to be a busy for Chelsea.
Despite being announced as the club's new head coach on Tuesday, Thomas Tuchel, who will be eyeing his first win in charge when the Blues face Burnley at Stamford Bridge on Sunday lunchtime, has no intentions of adding to his squad before Monday's deadline.
The German, who succeeded Frank Lampard just over 24 hours after the former Blues midfielder was sacked, has insisted he is happy with the options he has at his disposal, despite the club's drop off in form in the last few weeks.
Tuchel, speaking at his official unveiling as Chelsea's new boss on Thursday, said: "No, [no gaps to fill] but it is hard for me to judge right now. I am very happy with what I have seen so far.
"N'Golo Kante came back [from injury] today so we have 22 players and the goalkeeper.”
Considering most bosses like to try and put their own stamp of authority on the squad they inherit from their predecessor, this news must be encouraging for Blues owner Roman Abramovich, who spent more than £220million during last summer's transfer window to add seven new players to the squad.
Immediately, the Chelsea owner must have confidence that Tuchel can get the very best out of what he has at his feet.
However, it is only natural that, over time, the former Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain will wish to put his own style on the squad, despite it already being awash with talent.
Although the January window is poised to have a quiet ending for the Blues, Tuchel could enter the summer window with a rather expensive-looking shopping list. According to reports, Tuchel has already set his sights on adding three new faces to his squad in the summer, although the Blues are highly likely to face stern competition from an array of other clubs for their services.
The men in question are David Alaba, who is out-of-contract at Bayern Munich this summer, Dayot Upamecano of RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund sensation Erling Haaland.
Tuchel is understood to be a massive admirer of Haaland and is, according to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, a "big fan" of Alaba, who has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge for several months.
With Thiago Silva now at the age of 36 and yet to sign a contract beyond the end of this season at Stamford Bridge, it is only natural that Chelsea will be on the hunt for a centre-back. Upamecano is an out-and-out central defender whilst Alaba can play in the middle or at left-back, offering no shortage of versatility.
Should Chelsea strike gold and land both of them, Tuchel could partner them as a central-defensive pairing, allowing Ben Chilwell to retain the left-back berth.
At the same time, though, Tuchel is a big fan of Antonio Rudiger, so much so he was very interested in signing him when in charge of PSG.
But should Upamecano and Alaba both sign, it is highly likely they would both start, as would Haaland if he was to join the club. With that in mind, Tuchel would be capable of producing one of the strongest-looking line-ups in the Premier League.
As you can see from the graphic above, Upamecano and Alaba would slot in at centre-back, meaning Chilwell would retain his place at left-back.
N'Golo Kante, Kai Havertz and Mason Mount would make up the midfield with Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic providing support to Haaland up front.
The likelihood of Chelsea lining up with this exact team next season is slim, as all three players in question are going to be at the centre of many transfer wars because of their talents and respective abilities. But the prospect of working with Tuchel could be a huge boost to the Blues' chances.
Should Tuchel be fortunate enough to line up with this team next season, it would leave him with a raft of options on his substitutes bench, including the likes of Cesar Azpilicueta, Silva, should he sign a new contract, Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Timo Werner and Tammy Abraham.
Chelsea XI: Mendy; James, Upamecano, Alaba, Chilwell; Kante, Havertz, Mount; Ziyech, Haaland, Pulisic.
