According to Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea’s focus lies on winning trophies rather than acquiring new players.

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has made it clear that his main focus is on winning trophies rather than signing new players. Ahead of their FA Cup clash against Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on Friday, Pochettino expressed his satisfaction with the current squad and emphasized the team’s desire to lift a title.

Pochettino stated, “We are desperate to win a title, not to sign players – I’m happy with the squad.” However, he acknowledged that Chelsea will continue to monitor the transfer market leading up to the deadline next Thursday, remaining prepared for any potential squad changes.

Despite a challenging start to the season, Chelsea currently find themselves in ninth place. This is particularly noteworthy considering the club broke the record for the highest amount spent in a single transfer window last summer, bringing in 11 new players, including the likes of Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, and Nicholas Jackson, with a total expenditure of nearly £450 million.

Fortunately, things have started to improve on the pitch for Chelsea. They have recently secured three consecutive victories in the Premier League, a feat they had not achieved earlier in the season. Additionally, they have reached the Carabao Cup final after a resounding win over Middlesbrough in the semi-finals. They will face Liverpool at Wembley Stadium, setting up a rematch of the 2022 final.

However, one of Chelsea’s marquee summer signings, Christopher Nkunku, has been plagued by injuries since his arrival. He will be unavailable for the upcoming clash against Villa due to a hip injury, along with defender Malo Gusto.

Villa, on the other hand, will be aiming to secure their second victory over Chelsea this season, having triumphed 1-0 in September. Unai Emery’s side has enjoyed a strong start to the Premier League campaign and currently sits in fourth place. Pochettino praised Emery as “one of the best coaches in the world” and commended Villa’s project, highlighting the quality of their players and their ability to win games.

The league position of Villa does not come as a surprise to Pochettino, who expressed his happiness for Emery and everyone involved in the project. The stage is set for an intriguing FA Cup encounter between two ambitious teams at Stamford Bridge.