Nobody expected Chelsea to start the season the way they have. The Blues have won just 2 of their 7 league games and have looked abysmal at times.

Having walked the league last season, Jose Mourinho was expected to build on it. In the summer, Chelsea needed to add goals and a left back to their side and they ended up with Falcao, Baba Rahman and Pedro.

View image | gettyimages.com

What seemed like good business back then has become a massive worry for Mourinho now. Chelsea are in desperate need of a full back, a central midfielder and a striker.

After his massive dip in form, Falcao was always going to be a gamble and if that misfires over the course of the season, Jose deserves the blame for that. However, the Portuguese had little to do with the other two positions.

Nobody could have predicted the catastrophic form Ivanovic is in. The Serbian was quite comfortably the best right back in the league last season and has somehow self-destructed this season. Ivanovic has been largely responsible for Chelsea’s poor defending.

View image | gettyimages.com

Furthermore, after a stunning season from Nemanja Matic, the former Benfica man seems badly out of touch. The same player who soaked every opposition attack like a sponge, seems porous and out of position more often than not.

View image | gettyimages.com

Matic’s poor form has not just affected the Chelsea defence, it has had a massive impact of Cesc Fabregas as well. The Spaniard plays his best football when there is someone else cleaning up in behind him. Quite honestly, Fabregas is simply incapable of defending and tactical pressing. Now that Matic has failed to do his bit, the Chelsea midfield is horribly exposed.

Unfortunately for Jose Mourinho, there is no quick fix to his problems and there are no solutions that can come from within, unless Matic and Ivanovic miraculously recover their phenomenal form overnight.

The question Chelsea fans and Mourinho need to ask themselves is, are they ready to wait for the players to hit form and sacrifice this season or do they dip into the transfer market and try to stop the rot

Given their resources and past record, it seems logical for them to upgrade the likes of Ivanovic and move on. In that case, here are three players who could transform Mourinho’s Chelsea.

Dani Carvajal

The Real Madrid right back is no longer first choice at Santiago Bernabeu and will be looking to move in search of game time. Although the Spaniard has played a lot so far, mainly due to Danilo’s injury, eventually he will move on.

View image | gettyimages.com

And when he does, Chelsea need to pounce. Carvajal is a considerable upgrade on Ivanovic and will offer a lot at both ends of the pitch. About time Jose Mourinho played a specialist full back on the right as well.

Marco Verratti

Chelsea have been heavily linked with Paul Pogba, but the Juventus midfielder is not what they need at the moment. Mourinho needs to sign a grafter and someone who can control the game alongside Cesc Fabregas.

View image | gettyimages.com

Marco Verratti is probably the finest controller in world football at the moment. The Italian is extremely good at running the play from deep, joining attacks and pressing/tackling the opposition.

Verratti’s tenacity and drive will be a huge asset for Chelsea. Furthermore, the PSG man is a very good passer and can play multiple roles for Mourinho.

Alexandre Lacazette

Chelsea need to sign a goalscorer. Diego Costa alone is not enough. And more importantly they need to sign a creative goalscorer due to the lack of creativity from the likes of Eden Hazard.

The Belgian has had his worst season with Chelsea so far and so often the main source of creativity for the Blues, Hazard has struggled badly this season.

View image | gettyimages.com

Chelsea need to sign a versatile forward, someone who can run with the ball, create chances for himself, score goals and play as a wide forward alongside Costa and Pedro.

The Lyon striker, Alexandre Lacazette is all of the above. The Frenchman was linked with a move away from Lyon this summer, but chose to stay put due to the lack of concrete offers.

Lacazette is ready for the step up to the Premier League and Chelsea need to get the cheque-book out, before someone else does.