As you would expect at this time of the year, transfers were on the agenda. So we did our best to extract as much information as we could out of the head coach to determine where the club is exactly during their latest recruitment drive.
He’s a round-up of what he said as the Blues enter the second week of the transfer window.
![Mousinho said: ‘We’re not looking for left-backs at the moment. With Connor and Jack, we are happy with the balance in terms of what we’ve got. I thought it worked really well last year, considering the amount of games Jack ended up coming in for and playing because Connor was out. Both can compete in the Championship. We have to make sure we keep improving both of them and, from Jack’s point of view, his career trajectory has to make sure he improves again to step up to the next level, but I thought he did a really good job for us last year. Connor has stepped up every level he has ever played, so it will be really interesting to see how he fares in the Championship. We obviously wouldn't have given him a new contract if we didn’t think he could do it.'](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjExM2E5OGRlLTJlNTQtNDc5NC05ZTYxLTQxNDk0YjY1MTU0OTo4MDc1MDcyMS04MWE2LTQxZjItYjk4Ny1kZDAzYjZiZjBmNDg=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=800)
13. Signing another left back
Mousinho said: ‘We’re not looking for left-backs at the moment. With Connor and Jack, we are happy with the balance in terms of what we’ve got. I thought it worked really well last year, considering the amount of games Jack ended up coming in for and playing because Connor was out. Both can compete in the Championship. We have to make sure we keep improving both of them and, from Jack’s point of view, his career trajectory has to make sure he improves again to step up to the next level, but I thought he did a really good job for us last year. Connor has stepped up every level he has ever played, so it will be really interesting to see how he fares in the Championship. We obviously wouldn't have given him a new contract if we didn’t think he could do it.'Photo: Jason Brown
![Mousinho said: ‘There’s been some upheaval at Chelsea, so it’s about the new manager coming in and taking time to assess the squad. Tino has been a part of that in the past, now he’s back and fully fit so I don’t think it’s anything Chelsea want to rush. It’s something we’re monitoring, though, and hopefully we’re first in line if anything becomes available. There’s hopefully scope because we know the player and we know what’s coming in. It’s one we’re open to, if he gets the opportunity to come back to the football club.’](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2024/05/25/12/35/GettyImages-2148895999.jpg.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=800)
14. Tino Anjorin
Mousinho said: ‘There’s been some upheaval at Chelsea, so it’s about the new manager coming in and taking time to assess the squad. Tino has been a part of that in the past, now he’s back and fully fit so I don’t think it’s anything Chelsea want to rush. It’s something we’re monitoring, though, and hopefully we’re first in line if anything becomes available. There’s hopefully scope because we know the player and we know what’s coming in. It’s one we’re open to, if he gets the opportunity to come back to the football club.’ | Getty Images
![Mousinho said: ‘We feel like we’re in a good position with that (protecting assets). A lot of the business we did last summer put us in a good position with that. If there’s anything we need to protect in term of assets and looking at new contracts, it will be something going on with the football club, agents, Rich (Hughes) and everyone at board level. Nothing will be done that’s a surprise to me, but it’s really for me a quick conversation: “what do you think about extending this player’s contract?”. It will either be a yes or a no, and then the details are taken care of by the club. But, yes, the answer is the club are well aware the decent performances of the squad mean we need to protect assets.’](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2024/06/19/14/10/onecms_f508d6ff-6a3e-478f-9b79-4dc00ef5a6b5%20%282%29.jpg.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=800)
15. Keeping prized assets
Mousinho said: ‘We feel like we’re in a good position with that (protecting assets). A lot of the business we did last summer put us in a good position with that. If there’s anything we need to protect in term of assets and looking at new contracts, it will be something going on with the football club, agents, Rich (Hughes) and everyone at board level. Nothing will be done that’s a surprise to me, but it’s really for me a quick conversation: “what do you think about extending this player’s contract?”. It will either be a yes or a no, and then the details are taken care of by the club. But, yes, the answer is the club are well aware the decent performances of the squad mean we need to protect assets.’ | The News
![Mousinho said: ‘There’s a lot of clubs in the Championship who have established Championship credentials, then there’s Premier League clubs coming down with parachute payments. That changes the landscape, in terms of what we’re competing with this year. So that means that we have to be competitive as well - and we feel that we are this. That’s not just financially, but in terms of club size and what we can offer players coming in. Part of it is upgrading facilities and making them Championship facilities.
‘It’s making sure we demonstrate to players what the club’s ambitions, but the overall landscape is competitive.’](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2024/04/29/11/00/Michael%20Eisner%20and%20Eric.jpg.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=800)
16. Being competitive in the transfer market
Mousinho said: ‘There’s a lot of clubs in the Championship who have established Championship credentials, then there’s Premier League clubs coming down with parachute payments. That changes the landscape, in terms of what we’re competing with this year. So that means that we have to be competitive as well - and we feel that we are this. That’s not just financially, but in terms of club size and what we can offer players coming in. Part of it is upgrading facilities and making them Championship facilities. ‘It’s making sure we demonstrate to players what the club’s ambitions, but the overall landscape is competitive.’ | National WorldPhoto: Jason Brown