Window Shopping: Torres running out of chances at Chelsea, but Falcao may have to wait until the summer

Window Shopping: Torres running out of chances at Chelsea, but Falcao may have to wait until the summer

Dec 18, 2012 9:00:00 AM

Goal.com's Greg Stobart and Peter Staunton are joined by Matt Holland to look at where Rafa Benitez's squad needs improving ahead of the transfer window

Chelsea's brave new dawn is going less than swimmingly. With Didier Drogba and Roberto Di Matteo gone, that miraculous night in Munich feels a long time ago - especially since Fernando Torres, the man tasked with succeeding the talismanic Ivorian, still flatters to deceive.

Despite the return of Rafa Benitez and playing in front of the sublime creative trio of Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and Oscar, Torres has not shown anything to suggest he can ever again be the man Roman Abramovich paid £50 million for in January of last year - and the sense is that he is running out of time to prove otherwise.

With the fabulous Radamel Falcao lighting up La Liga, speculation is rife that Chelsea are prepared to activate the prolific Colombian's £46m (€56.7m) release clause in January. Atletico Madrid's superb domestic form under Diego Simeone, however, means any deal may have to wait until the summer.

Benitez himself may not have that long in charge at Stamford Bridge. The former Liverpool boss is failing to endear himself to the Chelsea faithful, and his team's Club World Cup failure will have done nothing to dispel the atmosphere of open rebellion.

The backlash has not reached Abramovich, however - namely because Blues fans realise that, without their generous owner, they would not have the luxury of booing the Spaniard in the first place.

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