Chelsea's boss, Enzo Maresca, could be bringing in fresh talent this January.

Chelsea plays Aston Villa at home this Saturday. Villa's doing great, sitting 3rd behind Arsenal and Man City, so it'll be a tough match. Maresca’s team is trailing them by seven points after seventeen games.

Last game, the London team tied 2-2 at Newcastle United and is neck and neck with Liverpool in 5th. Reece James and Joao Pedro scored against Newcastle. So, if the January whispers are true, here’s how Maresca’s starting lineup might look…

Chelsea’s Keeper and Defence

Robert Sanchez has been Chelsea’s main goalie this season since he was bought from Brighton back in 2023. Filip Jorgensen is his backup on the bench.

Reece James is flexible and can cover right-back or midfield. When he's healthy, he's an easy pick for Maresca. Malo Gusto is another choice for that position if needed. On the other side, Marc Cucurella is reliable for the team.

For the centre defence, Chelsea might be trying to get Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano this winter, according to the Metro. The 27-year-old has been with Bayern since 2021 and has been a key player. Before that, he was hard to miss at RB Leipzig.

Crystal Palace might have trouble keeping Marc Guehi. His contract runs out in June 2026, and the Blues really want him back, but Liverpool and Man City are also interested, as per TEAMtalk.

Chelsea’s Midfield and Attack

Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez are Chelsea’s strongest duo in midfield. James can fill in there if needed, and they've got Andrey Santos and Romeo Lavia (when they are fit). But probably, they need more players in that area.

The Blues are said to want RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande. Fichajes says he’s on their list and could cost around £87 million. If he joins, he’d be up against Jamie Gittens, Pedro Neto, Tyrique George, and Alejandro Garnacho for playtime.

Cole Palmer is well again and ready to prove himself. Chelsea is also eyeing AFC Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo. Sky Sports says they've asked about him, with a £65 million release clause, and Liverpool, Man City, and Man United are also fans.

Upfront, even with Joao Pedro and Liam Delap, they might want another attacker. Palmeiras’ Vitor Roque is one to watch. Sky Sports Switzerland says the Blues are considering him.

Chelsea's coach, Enzo Maresca, explained why he doesn't think the Blues will win the Premier League this year. He also talked about his worst 48 hours statement after they beat Everton on December 13. After that game, the coach said those were the worst 48 hours since he started at Stamford Bridge in 2024.

Maresca's comment about the worst 48 hours got people talking. Chelsea beat Everton 2-0 at home on December 3, but before that, they hadn't won in three games, losing to Leeds United and Atalanta. The team really needed to win against Everton, and Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto helped them get the three points.

After the game, Maresca told reporters, I praise the players because they're doing great, even with all the problems after a tough week. Since I joined, those 48 hours were the worst because many people weren't supporting us. I'm happy for Malo and everyone else because their hard work showed they're all in and want to help the club.

When asked what he meant, Maresca said, Worst 48 hours because people didn't support the team and me.

He was then asked if it was an internal issue or related to the fans and said, In general. I love the fans, and I'm happy with them.

Looking back on his comments almost two weeks later, the coach told Sky Sports, There are times when things are better or worse. We spend so much time together, it’s normal. It happens in any family.

Maresca was also asked if he was annoyed that people were still talking about his 48-hour comments. He said, It's annoying that we're still talking about it after a few weeks. I get that it caused a reaction in the media, but I can't control that. What bothers me is that we're still on it after a while, when I already said there weren't any issues with the higher-ups before the Newcastle game.

Maresca said that Chelsea isn't likely to win the title because they aren't consistent enough.

This season, Chelsea has beaten Liverpool and Barcelona at home. When asked if it was true that they play better against bigger teams, he agreed and said they need to keep up a high level every week.

He told Sky Sports, That's probably right now, and why we're not closer to the top. We need to be more consistent against different teams. That's something we want to improve, how we play against those teams. Hopefully, we can keep doing well against the big teams.

If you want to be at the top at the end of the season, you have to be consistent. Otherwise, it's tough. That's why I think December, January, and February are important months. After that, you can set your goals in March, and hopefully, we'll be in a position to fight for something big.

Chelsea has decided not to sign Semenyo.

Antoine Semenyo's future at Bournemouth has been uncertain, with many clubs interested in him. Manchester City is said to be the favourite to sign him. The Athletic reported that while Chelsea likes Semenyo, they don't plan to try to sign him in January because they trust their current players.