Mauricio Pochettino said on Thursday he is worried about making a “mess for the squad” by extending Chelsea’s spending spree by signing another forward.
Hampered by injuries to Christopher Nkunku, Armando Broja, Mykhailo Mudryk and Carney Chukwuemeka, Pochettino is considering whether to bring in another attacker ahead of the transfer deadline on September 1.
Chelsea have already splashed out more than £350 million ($442 million) since the end of last season as Pochettino revamps a team that endured a turbulent campaign prior to his arrival in July.
But the former Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain boss knows a bloated squad can create its own problems.
“It’s easy to say we need maybe another offensive player but I think we have offensive players that need to recover,” Pochettino told reporters.
“If you now bring some players that maybe are not fit or need to adapt to the Premier League maybe you are going to spend the same time that you need to wait for Broja, Nkunku or for Carney and then you’re going to create a mess for the squad.
“That’s why we’re trying to work really hard to analyse every single situation and try to take the best decision.”
Chelsea confirmed the £17 million signing of Brazilian forward Deivid Washington from Santos, but the 18-year-old may be sent out on loan rather than join the first team straight away.
Pochettino’s transfer market dilemma is understandable after a rocky start to his reign, featuring a 1-1 draw with Liverpool and a 3-1 defeat at West Ham.
The Blues will be looking for their first Premier League win this season when they host Luton on Friday.
‘Only a matter of time’
In the circumstances, Pochettino might feel an experienced forward would aid his hopes of getting results back on track quickly.
With an average age of 23.7 years Pochettino has the Premier League’s youngest squad.
“We will win, we will succeed in the way that the players will buy into the ideas and the philosophy and the way that we play, it’s only a matter of time,” he said.
“The most important thing is the profile of the player that we need to add. So after he is not going to be a problem when we recover all these players.
“That is why it’s not easy but we are trying to do something.”
As well as Chelsea’s attacking absences, Pochettino is also without injured defenders Wesley Fofana, Reece James, Benoit Badiashile and Trevoh Chalobah.
Moises Caicedo, signed from Brighton for a British record £115 million, endured a torrid debut after coming on as a second half substitute against West Ham.
But Pochettino called for patience as the Ecuador midfielder and the rest of his new recruits adapt to their new club.
“It’s unrealistic if we expect today the best of Caicedo, (Romeo) Lavia, (Axel) Disasi, all the players that arrived in the last moments, with only a few days working with us and starting to compete,” he said.
“Of course, if we see the perception of these players and we expect the best of them, yes we should win every single game.
“It’s only a matter of time to put it all together and start to perform. I have no doubt about the quality of the squad.”
