Liam Rosenior admits he sees only "the last two percent" of Chelsea's transfer business as the Blues pursue a £60million deal for Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet before Monday's 7pm deadline.
Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior has provided a forthright assessment of his role in the club's transfer dealings with Deadline Day looming. The 41-year-old revealed he focuses on team performance while sporting directors handle negotiations, admitting he only witnesses the final stages of any potential deals.
Chelsea are racing to complete a move for Rennes centre-back Jacquet before the window closes at 7pm on Monday. The Ligue 1 club want a club-record fee exceeding £50million for the France Under-21 international, though they prefer to retain the 20-year-old until summer. Rosenior, who signed a six-and-a-half-year contract at the start of January, has won five of his first six games in charge but remains on the lookout for defensive reinforcements.
The Blues have agreed personal terms with Jacquet and are pushing for an immediate transfer rather than waiting until the summer window. "I don't want to bring in players that don't enhance the group or the chemistry that we're building," Rosenior said. "If we do bring in the right player in a certain position, they have to have a clear impact on the team."
Chelsea's pursuit comes as they look to strengthen a defence missing Levi Colwill, who is recovering from an ACL injury. The club have recalled Aaron Anselmino from his loan at Borussia Dortmund as cover. Meanwhile, centre-back Axel Disasi is expected to depart Stamford Bridge before the deadline, with West Ham leading the race for a loan move.
Rosenior explained his limited involvement in negotiations: "I'm not an old-school manager that's got out the phone and is making calls. I've got the best people, I think, in world football working on those things. I probably see the last two per cent of the work they do." West Ham, Roma and Lyon have all registered interest in taking Disasi, who has not featured for Chelsea in over a year despite recently returning to first-team training.
The Blues currently sit fourth in the Premier League table and secured qualification for the Champions League last 16 with victory over Napoli on Wednesday. That result earned the club £42.86million in prize money, potentially bolstering funds for any last-minute business. Rosenior faces West Ham on Saturday evening before sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley work against the clock ahead of Monday's deadline.
