Jose Mourinho sauntered back into Stamford Bridge during the summer, installing plenty of optimism among the Chelsea faithful in the process.
However, the Portuguese coach quickly realised that it was not the same Chelsea that he left behind in 2007, despite the fact that he had added the likes of Willian, Marco van Ginkel and Samuel Eto'o, while the club had also negotiated a deal to recruit German international Andre Schurrle prior to the 50-year-old's return.
Last night they exited the League Cup at the hands of Sunderland, while they stuttered to the top of a Champions League group that included FC Basel, Schalke 04 and Steaua Bucuresti. On occasions, Mourinho has also bemoaned the number of goals that his side have both scored and conceded.
So, as the January transfer window approaches, who could the Blues sign to make them even more competitive during the second half of the campaign? Clubs do not tend to part with their best players at this stage of the season, but Sports Mole has selected three players that could be tempted to West London.
1. Luke Shaw
Along with the likes of John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba, Ashley Cole was one of Mourinho's disciples during his previous three-year stint at the Chelsea helm. Indeed, the England international was arguably the best left-back in European football. The 2013 version of Cole, though, is an ageing model that if not now, will soon need updating. It's a viewpoint seemingly held by Mourinho, who in recent weeks has preferred to deploy the right-footed Cesar Azpilicueta in Cole's position.
Down at Southampton, they appear to have developed themselves 'a young Ashley Cole' in Luke Shaw. Despite being just 18, the defender has made 40 appearances at Premier League level, showing maturity beyond his years in the process. The modern full-back not only has to defend, he also has to be a threat to the opposition in an attacking sense. He may still be seeking his first senior goal, but Shaw has shown on numerous occasions that he is capable of sending a dangerous cross into the penalty area.
The likes of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are said to be monitoring Shaw's situation, but Chelsea could hold all the aces. After all, he is known to be a boyhood supporter of the King's Road outfit. In terms of his evolution, Shaw must play on a regular basis. With that in mind, he could well benefit from remaining with Southampton for the rest of the season, but there is no reason why Chelsea shouldn't tie up a deal next month.
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2. Morgan Schneiderlin
On paper, Mourinho has a wealth of central midfield options at his disposal. Dig a little deeper, though, and it becomes apparent that they still need bolstering in that area. Lampard is not getting any younger, the injured Van Ginkel is unproven, John Obi Mikel has failed to fulfil the potential that sparked a transfer war between Chelsea and Manchester United, while Michael Essien looks to have been hampered by one knee ligament injury too many.
Rickie Lambert has, quite rightly, been lauded for the way that he has adapted to life in the Premier League, having spent the majority of his career in the Football League. Frenchman Morgan Schneiderlin has also made the jump with the Saints in equally impressive fashion. The 24-year-old is a defence-minded midfielder that is at home when breaking up play and regaining possession - a role that Claude Makelele carried out with such distinction during the first Mourinho era.
Schneiderlin is also comfortable in possession, having completed 87.5% of his 662 passes so far this term, according to whoscored.com. What's more, his five goals from 36 appearances last year showed that he can weigh in with the goods at the other end of the pitch.
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3. Javier Hernandez
Mourinho spent the majority of his summer doing all that he could to tempt Man United into parting with Wayne Rooney. However, David Moyes had just inherited the manager's job from Sir Alex Ferguson - there was no way that he was going to sanction the sale of his talisman so early on, despite reports that Rooney wanted out. The striker's performances in a red shirt since then, particularly when you consider that Fernando Torres, Demba Ba and Eto'o have scored five Premier League goals between them (Rooney has eight), are likely to have left the Chelsea boss scorned.
While he is thought to retain a strong interest in the England international, Mourinho could well benefit from pursuing another United centre-forward. With Rooney, Robin van Persie and Danny Welbeck ahead of him in the Old Trafford pecking order, Javier Hernandez has often had to settle for a place among the substitutes under both Ferguson and Moyes.
So, why should Chelsea add United's fourth-choice frontman to their squad? The fact is, there are few more clinical strikers in the Premier league than the Mexican, particularly in and around the goalmouth. To date, 'Chicharito' has made 130 appearances for the Red Devils (52 of them as a substitute) and has found the net 54 times. Not that Chelsea are unaware of his goalscoring credentials because seven of his tally have been scored against them in the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup and Community Shield.
His style of play would also suit Chelsea, largely due to the fact that he possesses the pace to stretch defenders. He may not be the greatest footballer in terms of his control, but Chelsea are packed full of that type of attacking players in Juan Mata, Oscar, Eden Hazard, Kevin de Bruyne, Willian et al. Furthermore, with Hernandez dragging rearguards towards their own goals, more space would appear for the aforementioned quintet to exploit.
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Liam Apicella
