£17m Chelsea star’s January exit in doubt after injury setback

Chelsea’s January transfer window has been quiet so far, with just one departure confirmed by the club so far.

Leo Castledine is joining Middlesbrough in a deal worth less than £1 million. He has been performing well on loan at Huddersfield Town, and despite the Terriers’ difficult season, he’s seen as a player who is already prepared for the Championship.

Jadon Sancho was of interest but opted to return to Borussia Dortmund, and Kalvin Phillips could soon join Juventus.

Tyrique George is expected to leave in January, and the rest of the attention will go on securing loan moves for some of their out-of-favour stars.

Injury puts January exit in doubt for Chelsea’s Deivid Washington

Deivid Washington had looked set to leave Chelsea on loan this month, but a recent injury could now put those plans on hold.

Signed for £17 million (BBC Sport), Washington hasn’t featured for the first team since Mauricio Pochettino was in charge. This season, his only appearances have come in Premier League 2.

The Athletic reports that he picked up an injury during a match against Benfica, casting doubt over his chances of leaving the club this month.

The timing couldn’t be worse. While it’s not believed to be a serious issue, any setback now could derail plans for much-needed playing time elsewhere.

Washington struggles to find footing

It was just a year ago that Washington made his move to Santos, hoping to learn from one of Brazil’s greats, Neymar.

But things didn’t quite go as planned. He made only a handful of appearances before heading back to Stamford Bridge.

Since then, it’s been a tough road for Washington. He didn’t see any game time under Enzo Maresca and hasn’t managed to break into the squad since.

With Marc Guiu already catching the eye of Liam Rosenior and competition from the likes of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro, breaking through at Chelsea looks like an uphill battle for him right now.