Chelsea 'want to sign set-piece specialist this summer'

The Blues experienced a quiet January transfer window, where departures dominated their business rather than any incomings.

Armando Broja was the final player to leave the club in the winter market after he completed a loan move to West London neighbours Fulham.

While a number of players left Stamford Bridge, the Blues failed to make a single signing in a January transfer window, as they adopted a cautious approach like many top-flight clubs due to the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability rules.

After experiencing a quiet window, Pochettino is already looking towards the summer market after indicating that he would like to recruit a set-piece specialist in the summer.

"We work a lot on set-pieces," Pochettino told reporters in Friday's press conference. "We have specialists. We are a coaching staff in charge of everything. We have a group of analysts for set-pieces.

"After that, it is about the quality of the player. It is about the takers. We don't have a specialist. Maybe Chilly [Ben Chilwell] is good in the delivery, but we don't have a specialist after that.

"If you want to be good in set-pieces, we work a lot. But then you need good takers. When you have good takers, and of course, Wolves have good takers, and like Manchester City have, or other clubs.

Excluding penalties, only five of Chelsea's 36 Premier League goals this season have come from set-piece situations.

Chelsea's tally is four fewer than Sunday's opponents Wolverhampton Wanderers and nine less than Arsenal, who are currently the league's highest scorers from set-piece situations.

Pochettino cited the set-piece prowess of West Ham United's James Ward-Prowse as an example of how important it is to have a dead-ball specialist.

"It is not down to the work," Pochettino added. "We work similarly, but the problem is to have good takers. Look before at West Ham, and after. What changed? After and before? It's not the same. The taker is James Ward-Prowse.

"For sure, you can work, like West Ham were working. But now, you add a player like him, you increase the percentage. That is football. Football belongs to the players. Not to the specialists."

After suffering a heavy 4-1 defeat to Liverpool in midweek, Chelsea will be looking for a positive response when they welcome Wolves to Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

The Blues head into the contest in 10th spot and two points better off than Gary O'Neil's side, who are sitting just one place behind in 11th position.