Blues ponder moves
09 Nov 2007 - 11:06:29
Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon has suggested new manager Avram Grant will be given funds to spend in the January transfer window.
Grant has been at the Blues helm since replacing Jose Mourinho in mid-September and has targeted some areas of the squad he wants to strengthen.
The Israeli coach has won eight and lost just one of his 12 games in charge, but has told Kenyon he would like to tweak his squad when the window reopens on January 1.
"Avram has said there might be a possibility, but I think it is about one or two and, even then, it is a question of the players that could strengthen us, can we get them and is it the right thing to do to get them?" Kenyon told Chelsea TV.
"We bought some players in the summer - (Claudio) Pizarro and (Steve) Sidwell - because we knew the African Nations Cup is going to take some of our players away, so when we are in the market in January it will be for very specific reasons.
"Our main changes tend to happen in the summer because we are not just looking at a five or six-week window here.
"We are looking for players that can contribute for much longer than the Africa Nations Cup window."
Meanwhile, Kenyon has praised Grant for the way he has handled the transition from a member of Mourinho's backroom staff to first-team coach.
He added: "If you look at six trophies in three years, where we came from to where we got to and the whole character around Jose, then that was a huge act to follow and the media do like instant success.
"So it was all about the first few games and Avram has certainly not exceeded our expectations because we believed that we could be where we want to be with him.
"But I think you have got to give him the credit for seven wins in a row with some big wins in there such as Valencia away and Man City.
"With a different style being introduced, it has been a big period for us and we are certainly happy and we hope some of the initial critics are becoming more happy."