NOW: CHELSEA’S JANUARY RAID! UPAMECANO AND GUEHI TARGETED TO SAVE ENZO MARESCA’S SEASON TONIGHT
Chelsea target Marc Guehi and Dayot Upamecano to bolster defence. Discover Enzo Maresca's potential new-look XI for January 2026.
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.
XAVI OPENLY DECLARES INTEREST IN CHELSEA JOB DURING PERMANENT MANAGER SEARCH
With Xabi Alonso and Andoni Iraola on the shortlist, explore why Xavi Hernández wants to take over the Chelsea hotseat next.
Xavi has openly said he’d love to manage Chelsea, and now the Blues are hunting for someone to replace Liam Rosenior.
Rosenior got the sack last month after a rough patch just three months into his huge contract that was supposed to last six and a half years. Calum McFarlane is filling in as interim head coach until season’s end, but Chelsea are actively looking for a permanent boss for the 2026/27 campaign.
They're considering some big names. Xabi Alonso’s been mentioned; he’s been out of work since leaving Real Madrid in January. Andoni Iraola, who’s about to leave Bournemouth, is also on the shortlist.
Cesc Fabregas has been linked after his strong run at Como, and Frank Lampard’s in the mix too, fresh off winning the Championship with Coventry and securing promotion.
But Xavi really stands out. He’s already made it clear he’s interested in the Chelsea job. Back in 2019, before his Barcelona return, he said, “I don’t hide it; my goal is to come back to Europe and to Barca. It's my challenge, but I’m enjoying this current project. For me, training a team in Barcelona would be a privilege, the biggest privilege.”
He didn’t just talk about Spain either. “Honestly, who doesn’t love the Premier League? The atmosphere, packed stadiums, everyone says it’s incredible,” Xavi admitted. “If I had to pick, I’d go for a big team: City, United, Chelsea, Arsenal, or Tottenham. Klopp, Pochettino, and Unai Emery are doing amazing work there.”
After returning to Barcelona in 2021, Xavi led them to a La Liga title and the Supercopa de España before Hansi Flick took over in 2024. He’s been out of work since.
Now, Chelsea seems seriously interested in the Spaniard. According to The i, the club wants someone who can embed a strong football identity across their teams, something Enzo Maresca started.
Getting Xavi won’t be easy, though. Morocco’s national team reportedly sees him as a top candidate to replace Walid Regragui, and Manchester United is eyeing him too as they weigh options beyond Michael Carrick.
Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso is the bookmakers’ favourite for the Chelsea role, but word is he’d want more control over club decisions if he moves to west London.
COLE PALMER MISSES PENALTY AS CHELSEA SUFFER HISTORIC SIXTH CONSECUTIVE LEAGUE DEFEAT
Chelsea matched a 1912 record with their 6th straight loss, falling 3-1 to Forest as Taiwo Awoniyi scored twice at the Bridge.
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Chelsea hit rock bottom again, losing 3-1 to Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge. That’s six Premier League defeats in a row now, something the club hadn’t seen since 1912. Just when you thought the season couldn’t get any worse, Forest showed up with a makeshift lineup and absolutely stunned them. Taiwo Awoniyi scored twice, one barely a minute into the match, and then Igor Jesus put away a penalty, and suddenly Forest was six points clear of the drop zone.
Chelsea hadn’t scored in five games, and it looked like that streak would go on forever. Then, in stoppage time, Joao Pedro finally managed an overhead kick to break the drought. That run was made even more ridiculous earlier when Cole Palmer missed a first-half penalty. Matz Sels, Forest’s backup goalkeeper, saved it.
Honestly, the crowd in the Shed End probably barely recognised their own team. Pereira swapped in seven new outfield players, most of them with almost no league experience; he was clearly thinking about the upcoming Europa League semi-final. But it looked like Chelsea was the stranger out there.
Things only got worse for interim head coach Calum McFarlane. He lost Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho to late injuries, so 18-year-old Jesse Derry had to make his Premier League debut. Then, late in the first half, Derry collided heads with Forest’s Zach Abbott and had to be stretchered off after getting oxygen. It was brutal to watch.
The match itself? Chaos. Less than two minutes in, Chelsea messed up their own throw-in and let Forest stroll through midfield. Dilane Bakwa beat Marc Cucurella with little effort and crossed to Awoniyi, who was completely unmarked and headed it in.
Fifteen minutes later, Chelsea conceded again. Bakwa whipped in another cross; Malo Gusto pulled Awoniyi’s shirt, and VAR handed Forest a penalty. Jesus hammered it right down the middle.
The first half was hopeless, and by the end, serious concern set in after that nasty head clash between Derry and Abbott. Abbott, playing just his second league game, left on his own, but Derry needed serious treatment and was stretchered off.
After a nearly ten-minute stoppage, Palmer’s penalty was stopped by Sels. At halftime, Levi Colwill returned from a major injury he hadn’t played since tearing his ACL in August. He tried to restore order, but nothing changed.
Forest’s third goal came just seven minutes into the second half. Gibbs-White crossed, and Awoniyi tapped in from close range, just managing to stay onside. Chelsea’s keeper, Robert Sanchez, took a knock and left with a bandaged head after colliding with Gibbs-White.
Pedro’s late goal barely counted for anything. The few Chelsea fans left in the stadium cheered, but it was more out of irony than joy.
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