Pedro and Delap cannot win Premier League for Chelsea — Alan Shearer tells Maresca

As the 2025/26 season hits the midway point, Chelsea once again find themselves far away from the title discussion.

The Blues are currently 15 points behind leaders Arsenal after dropping points against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge, and their hopes of a domestic crown appear effectively over, a sad reality given the astronomical investment in the squad under the current ownership.

A lack of clinical finishing has been a recurring theme; Joao Pedro remains the only Chelsea player in the league’s top 20 scorers with six goals, highlighting a significant lack of firepower.

Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Premier League legend Alan Shearer argued that the squad possesses "glaring holes" that only elite recruitment can fix.

“I think they’re lacking a top-class No.9 and a top-class centre-half, I think, as well,” Shearer noted.

“I’m not saying that [Joao] Pedro and [Liam] Delap can’t do it, but I think to get to that elite level and challenge for the Premier League, then I would say they’d probably need a top-class centre-forward and centre-half.”

The former England striker also questioned the stability between the sticks, despite Robert Sánchez's improved form this term.“Maybe a goalkeeper… I’ve never been convinced that Chelsea can win the league,” Shearer added.

With the January transfer window just hours away, the pressure is mounting on the sporting directors to move for established stars rather than high-potential youngsters.

For many fans, the prospect of another season without a serious title or Champions League tilt is becoming increasingly difficult to stomach.