"I’ve said this so many times" - John Obi Mikel urges Chelsea to sign player for key position in January

Former Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi has urged the club to sign another striker in the ongoing January transfer window. He also opined that the club's goalkeeping department has not been rock solid.

The Blues have enjoyed an impressive season so far under new manager Enzo Maresca. Prior to consecutive losses to Fulham (2-1) and Ipswich Town (2-0) in late December, they were on a nine-game unbeaten run in the Premier League. The west London club has also maintained a 100 percent record in the UEFA Europa Conference League.

Maresca's setup has seen Chelsea register a significant improvement on the offensive. The Blues have scored the third-most goals in the league this term (38), only behind Tottenham Hotspur (41) and Liverpool (45). In the Europa Conference League, they have recorded an Impressive 26 goals in six matches.

The likes of Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson are leading the club's scoring chart this term. The Englishman has 12 goals and six assists in 21 games across the competition, while the Senegalese has nine goals and three assists in 19 outings.

Nevertheless, Mikel believes that the club needs to further bolster their ranks. He urged Chelsea to rope in another striker in the ongoing transfer market and pointed out his concerns about the goalkeeping department. He said on his ObiOnePodcast (via CFC Pys on X):

"We need another striker, I’ve said this so many times, Goalkeeper worries me."

The Blues have a lot of attacking talents at their disposal such as Christopher Nkunku, Joao Felix, and Marc Guiu, amongst others. While adding another striker to their roster could be beneficial, it could also pose selection headaches for the manager.

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Chelsea will look to bounce back in derby clash against Crystal Palace

Chelsea will look to overcome a poor ending to 2024 when they take on Crystal Palace away in the league on Saturday, December 4. Enzo Maresca's side failed to end 2024 on a high, suffering back-to-back league losses to Fulham and Ipswich Town.

Before these defeats, Maresca's side had impressively navigated the busy December schedule. They won four and drew once from five games, including a standout 4-3 away victory at Tottenham Hotspur on December 8.

The losses also saw the side drop from second in the standings to fourth. They have 35 points from 19 games, one point behind Arsenal who sit right above them, and 10 points behind Liverpool who lead the table. The Blues have played one game more than the two sides.