Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel prefers to keep Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner beyond the January transfer window, according to Evening Standard.
The duo joined the Blues with big reputations last year, but they have struggled to impress on a consistent basis. This has led to speculation over their futures.
Werner has 34 goal contributions from 66 appearances, but he has still been disappointing, missing several clear-cut scoring chances over the past 18 months.
Meanwhile, Ziyech has endured a tough spell with the London giants with only nine goals and eight assists from 57 appearances across all competitions.
The attacking pair have been linked with exits on numerous occasions, but Tuchel has no plans of losing them during the midway stage of the current campaign.
With the recent absence of key players due to injuries and coronavirus, the German is wary of losing the duo. Their situation will be reassessed over the summer.
Our view:
The Blues have been hampered lately with Werner, Romelu Lukaku, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Kai Havertz among the attacking players sidelined with Covid-19.
Lukaku and Hudson-Odoi could return to the squad against Aston Villa on Boxing Day. Despite the positive update, a similar situation could arise later on in the campaign.
Hence, there are no surprises that Tuchel is reluctant to lose Werner or Ziyech next month. Both players have struggled for consistency, but have made key contributions.
Werner recently impressed against Zenit St Petersburg with two goals and an assist in a 3-3 draw. Meanwhile, Ziyech has three goals and two assists since November.
With the Blues still competing across five competitions including the Club World Cup, Tuchel will feel it is essential to stick with a big squad to avoid future crisis.
Chelsea have recently lost momentum in the league with just five points from the last four games. Having held the top spot for two months, they are now third on the table.
There is already a six-point gap to leaders Manchester City, and they desperately need a win at Villa to avoid dropping further behind in the Premier League title race.
