Chelsea have been going through a rough spell of performances and results since before the World Cup break.
In the Premier League right now, Chelsea have only won one game in their last eight matches, which is far from good enough.
It is only natural in times like this that pressure will ramp up on a manager when a club like Chelsea goes through a patch like this, even though they are in a transition period.
Reliable insider Ben Jacobs has penned a deep dive column in an exclusive transfer related article for Si & Dan Talk Chelsea this week, and he covers the above subject in some of it.
Jacobs believes that the next six weeks are crucial for Potter, but as of right now, support from the club owners is fully there and he is the man they chose for the long-term.
Jacobs said: “Potter hasn’t even had a transfer window and deserves time, something he was promised when joining, so it would be very harsh and unwise to make a knee-jerk change right now. This is not what the board wants.
“The whole point of hiring Potter was a belief he was the right fit, both as a coach but also within a newly-built recruitment team. It’s Potter’s role in the latter that will probably buy him time. Potter met with Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghabli during the World Cup break and left even more confident Chelsea’s owners aren’t going to react to this poor run of form.
“January is a key month for Potter, though. Missing out on Champions League football, but showing progress and a clear identity, is one thing. But falling into the bottom half of the table and thus potentially missing out on the top four by a big distance is another thing altogether.
“So the next six weeks are particularly crucial. Chelsea have Manchester City, Liverpool and a series of London derbies all leading up to Dortmund in the Champions League the day after Valentine’s Day. Potter needs a big win, against a Champions League rival, to change the mood a little. But internally at the club I am told things are still pretty calm.”
‘He just wants Chelsea’: World Cup star is desperate to join Graham Potter, it’s his top choice
Sky journalist Angelo Mangiante has claimed on Twitter that Enzo Fernandez has accepted a contract offer from Chelsea.
Reports have strongly linked the Blues with a move for the Argentina international this month.
The 21-year-old put himself in the shop window to the elite sides after a sensational World Cup showing with Argentina.
After not being originally selected as a starter, he was quickly relied upon to turnaround the South American side’s fortunes after an opening match loss.
A brilliant strike against Mexico perhaps set the tone, with him becoming undroppable as the tournament went on.
He has previously strongly been linked with a move to Liverpool, with their interest also peaking during the festival of football.
Fernandez only wants Chelsea
However, reports in the past few days have claimed that the Blues are extremely close to securing a deal with Benfica this month, seemingly blowing the Reds out of the water/
While things are not quite sorted between the clubs, Mangiante has claimed that Fernandez is completely set on a move to Chelsea, after positive contract talks between the two parties.
He said: “Enzo Fernandez already accepted Chelsea’s contract bid. The deal is advanced. He just wants Chelsea.”
The Blues certainly look as if they could do with a freshen up in midfield.
The position was one in particular where the Blues struggled in on New Years’ Day in the 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest.
There is also still plenty of uncertainty over the futures of first team options Jorginho and N’golo Kante.
While there is more optimism over the Frenchman’s future than his Italian counterpart, there is still a chance both will finish playing at Stamford Bridge when this current season ends.
Fernandez has certainly shown in his very young career that he has the capabilities to be a key player for a big side in the coming years.
SOURCE: chelsea-news.co, thechelseachronicle.com
