Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness says Chelsea’s position in the top four is “in jeopardy” unless they address their problems by bringing in new players during the January transfer window.

The Blues spent £275m in the summer, but Souness claims Liverpool and Tottenham could finish above the Blues if manager Graham Potter isn’t allowed to strengthen his squad:

“I think both of them [Liverpool And Tottenham] will be in the top four. I think Chelsea are in jeopardy, a lot depends on what they do in the transfer window. Arsenal are looking convincing at the moment, they look like a really good team. But I think everyone is playing for second place this season [behind Manchester City]. So that’s my top four prediction.”

There was not a lot of talk of Chelsea missing out on the top four before the defeats to Brighton and Arsenal, which suggests Souness may well have a bit of recency bias with his prediction. However, while the club’s situation may not be as dire as Souness portrays, there is no doubt that specific areas of the pitch need to be addressed in the transfer market.

N’Golo Kante’s absence through injury has exposed the Blues’ lack of depth in the middle of the park, while their lack of cutting edge in the final third of the pitch suggests the forward line needs to be reinforced as well.