Graham Potter delivers eight-man verdict on Chelsea’s transfer signings after Fernandez concludes January arrivals

Graham Potter has welcomed the signings of all eight players Chelsea acquired during the January transfer window.

David Datro Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Andrey Santos, Joao Felix, Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke and Enzo Fernandez are all with the squad following their arrivals, while Malo Gusto has been loaned back to Lyon for the remainder of the season.

It saw Chelsea spend in excess of £300 million and break their club record, as well as the British record, in the process following the £106.8 million signing of Fernandez from Benfica.

Potter is also seeing the injury list reduce with Wesley Fofana, Reece James, Ben Chilwell, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Raheem Sterling all returning to training recently after injury absences.

Tuesday night’s signing of Fernandez concluded the business for January and Potter believes those new arrivals will excite the supporters, who will enjoy all the players who have penned long-term contracts.

He told Chelsea TV: “I think you can see the direction that we’re trying to go in, in terms of the age of the players, the type of player we’re trying to attract to the club and I think the signings are really exciting for our supporters. They’ll enjoy watching them play and enjoy them for many years to come.”

The Chelsea head coach has revealed all the signings have given the squad a lift at Cobham, who have overcome a tough time due to injuries and a downturn in form prior to the World Cup break which continued into the New Year.

Potter added: “New faces give the group a lift. The group has had a tough time in terms of players being injured and we’ve had some tough moments together. But having new players, new faces just lifts everybody.

“You can see the quality of players coming in, it’s exciting for everyone. It lifts the training session, group, mood, so we’re looking forward to now going out to play. It feels like it’s been a bit of a break for us, so we’re looking forward to that and playing on Friday in front of our supporters.

“The fact we’ve had a couple of weeks without a game, it feels like a bit of a reset, a little a pause. The fact that January has finished, the window’s closed and we can really now go forward and try to just work with the players we have here with no distractions, nothing to throw us off course. We have to work, play the matches and fight everyday for the points.

“The challenge for me is incredibly exciting, it’s a really exciting time for the club, team. For me personally and my staff, we’re all excited with the challenge and looking forward to the second part of the season. We feel we have a lot to fight for and a lot to be thankful for. Now it’s up to us to give everything everyday and to get the points. “