Dropping off of the pace slightly at the top of the Premier League would appear to be the least of Thomas Tuchel’s worries at present.
Once the busy festive period is out of the way, transfer matters will take precedence, and the German has more to contend with than most on that score.
Antonio Rudiger has, thus far, refused to sign a new contract with Chelsea, and Eurosport report that Real Madrid’s interest in him is genuine.
Defensive colleague, Andreas Christensen, has similarly not put pen to paper to this point. Fichajes reported back in October that Barcelona were hoping to tie up a deal for both the Dane and club captain, Cesar Azpilicueta.
Though it isn’t clear that either would be willing to swap Stamford Bridge for the Camp Nou, the fact that the vultures are circling and Chelsea haven’t managed to get everything signed off has to be a worry.
Defensively, Tuchel could have even more to concern himself with after it was revealed that Thiago Silva has now been made a ‘significant’ offer to move to the Middle East.
“It is our information that we have obtained here at the Transfer Window that Thiago Silva has a significant financial offer to continue his career in the Middle East,” Ian McGarry said on the Transfer Window Podcast.
“Which of course in terms of money would be attractive because it would be tax-free and the leagues of course are not overly competitive. But Silva himself is extremely competitive.”
Of course, any monies earned there is tax free, and given that the Brazilian is coming towards the end of his career, one last big pay day could well be of interest.
Perhaps the one saving grace Tuchel will have where Silva is concerned is that, in a World Cup year, the player really needs competition to be at the highest level, in order to give him the best chance of being picked in Tite’s squad for Qatar.