LONDON - Chelsea manager Graham Potter said he wants to keep a lid on rampant speculation during the January transfer window as he tries to revive the club’s top-four hopes.

Several players have been linked with a move to the struggling London side including World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez, Andrey Santos, Benoit Badiashile, Joao Felix and Mykhailo Mudryk.

Ivory Coast international David Datro Fofana has already arrived at Stamford Bridge this month but Potter was keeping his cards close to his chest ahead of Thursday’s clash against Premier League champions Manchester City.

“It’s a good question but the problem is if I answer it and I’m specific in that answer, every single player in that area will be linked with Chelsea,” Potter told reporters, referring to speculation over new players.

“So I have to dodge it – and I hope you can understand why I’m dodging it. I always answer that part of the question by saying that I’m the head coach and my responsibility is to the players that are here.

“We will try in every window to improve, but January is a complicated one because it’s the middle of the season.”

Chelsea are 10 points off the top four following a New Year’s Day draw at Nottingham Forest and Potter is under no illusions about the size of the task against City, even though Pep Guardiola’s side have proved fallible this season.

“They are a top team but we can cause them a problem, we can be ourselves and try to play well and put them under pressure,” he said.

“We need to use Stamford Bridge and then see what happens.

“We have to think about ourselves, how we can do better, how we can take steps forward in our game. That is the approach we’ll have.” AFP