Jose Mourinho Comments on Signing Players During January Transfer Window

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho doesn't want to sign any new players during the upcoming January transfer window, opting instead to use his current group of players to dig the club out of the Premier League cellar.

Per BBC Sport, the under-fire manager doesn't want to ask the club's board for reinforcements, as it would send the wrong signal. Instead, he believes the squad currently at his disposal has all the talent it needs:

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I would be more than happy to be myself and the squad that I have now. I am happy with my players, I trust the players.

Our performance during the season in the Premier League is not good enough.

If I ask for players, or if the club gives me a handful of players, it's like taking the responsibility (away from) us and saying we need extra to reach our objectives.

I want to have the responsibility in my hands, I want the players to have the responsibility.

I want the players to feel that I trust them and that I don't need other players to reach the objectives.

"

Fans probably don't want to hear Mourinho say he doesn't plan on making any signings given the horrendous start to the season their club has suffered. After 12 matches, the defending Premier League champions sit in 16th place in the standings, which is 15 points behind league-leaders Manchester City and Arsenal.

Key players from last year's title-winning side have woefully underperformed in 2015-16, most notably Cesc Fabregas, Diego Costa and PFA Player of the Year Eden Hazard. Dean Jones and Sam Tighe of Bleacher Report are anything but impressed with the latter's showings so far:

All three were consistently excellent in 2014-15, however, so it's easy to see why Mourinho believes his current group of players have the talent to turn their season around. Just one year ago, they were the class of England, so their poor form obviously has to do with factors other than talent.

But top clubs are always moving forward, which explains why a team like Barcelona, who won the treble last season and were hit with a transfer embargo, still decided to invest in Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal.

Matt Dunham/Associated Press

Chelsea didn't make any major signings last summer apart from a handful of little-known, last-minute additions and Abdul Baba Rahman, who flashed tantalising potential but is too young and inexperienced to be an impact player on a weekly basis.

Not signing any real reinforcements or immediate-impact players is a mistake the Blues shouldn't make in two consecutive transfer windows. Bleacher Report UK reacted like this to Mourinho's comments:

That said, just because Mourinho claims his club won't be investing significantly in January doesn't make it true. The Blues have more than enough cash to bring in one or two big names when the window opens. Don't be shocked if they do just that and these comments were nothing but a smokescreen.

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