Chelsea Transfer News: Despite Promise, Blues Should Add to Squad in January

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho told radio station talkSPORT on Wednesday that he doesn't plan on doing any transfer business in the January window, but the Blues should still be making moves with an eye on the remainder of the 2014-15 campaign and the future.

As reported by talkSPORT's Joe Moore, the Portuguese manager responded to a question regarding the January window by saying he's happy with his current squad and has no plans to add or sell any players: "No. We have a short squad but we’ve got good players, some younger, some older, but the squad is very, very good. Our project is to start and finish the season with the same group of players, so there will be nobody to leave and nobody to come in either."

Of course, Mourinho has every reason to trust his current squad. The Blues lead the Premier League standings, are still active in every competition they've started this season and have lost just a single match all year.

To say the current side has lived up to the expectations would be an understatement. Chelsea are the favourites for the Premier League title and have a realistic shot at even more silverware, all thanks to a superb summer window and the quality the Blues already fielded last season.

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But Tuesday's 3-1 win over Derby County reminded fans and coaches alike that sometimes, the fate of an entire season can hinge on one or two key injuries.

Kurt Zouma and Petr Cech were involved in a heavy collision, and the goalkeeper believes his helmet saved both him and the young defender from serious injury, per World Soccer Talk:

During the interview, Mourinho confirmed he was fearing for the worst as well, although he emphasised the Frenchman is fine after an early scare:

"

When I saw Zouma was down, I was scared because we can’t lose any players and certainly not for long periods of time.

When John Terry signalled that we needed to change I thought we might be in trouble, but no, happily for us and for the kid, we weren’t. He’s fine, he took a punch from Petr and had a cut inside his mouth, so taking him off was just a precaution. He was fine in the dressing room after.

"

This is great news for the Blues, who have been largely spared by the injury bug in 2014-15. As strong as their squad is, several players are close to irreplaceable, and one or two keys injuries could drastically change the club's outlook.

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Chelsea's depth is more than solid, but you can always do better. Similarly, the 27 players the club currently has out on loan, according to their official website, make for a deep pool of young talent hoping to one day make their mark on the starting XI.

But you know what's even better than having 26 highly talented youngsters—and Fernando Torres—out on loan, waiting for their chance? Having 27. This has nothing to do with greed: Top clubs are always looking to improve and are always building toward the future.

It's why Real Madrid, winners of 21 consecutive matches, are negotiating a deal for Lucas Silva, despite fielding an army of world-class central midfielders, via AS English:

It's why Juventus, who field one of the best defensive units in all of football, are reportedly pushing to sign FC Basel's Fabian Schar, per Metro:

Top clubs never think exclusively about the here and the now, and Mourinho knows it. He himself admitted the squad is "short," and he acknowledged he cannot afford to lose any of his players to long-term injuries.

No, Chelsea likely won't be chasing any big-name stars, and there isn't any need to, either. But Mourinho knows a bargain when he sees one, and he has always had a clear eye for talent. It would be a surprise if he didn't complete just a single move for a talented youngster in January, likely immediately shipping him out on loan.

Coaches and players say an awful lot of things in December, only to flip on their words and pretend it was all a smokescreen just a few weeks later. It's part of the game. And while the Blues would undoubtedly still be formidable if they didn't add a single piece, don't expect the January window to pass Stamford Bridge by completely.

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