COMMENT: They say it comes in threes. And for Chelsea fans keen to learn Maurizio Sarri's transfer plans, it all came in a one, two, three rush last week.

Bish! Gonzalo Higuain, Sarri's former Napoli striker, admits he spoke at length with Chelsea before choosing to leave Juventus over the summer for AC Milan. Bosh! Daniele Rugani's agent, Davide Torchia, confirms Chelsea did all they could to prise the young defender away from Juve before the market shut. Bash! Kicked from pillar to post by Manchester United on Saturday, it became absolutely crystal clear that Eden Hazard needs a minder in midfield to keep his ankles safe.

Higuain was first off the mark, letting the world know that Sarri was serious about a reunion this season, "It's true that we talked a lot about Chelsea, but there was a fundamental difference: in Milan everybody wanted me, from the leaders to the coach. At Chelsea it was different, since only the coach wanted me."

So there you have it. Sarri wanted Higuain. Or at least someone similar. But the market shut in England leaving the Italian empty-handed - which is just about as much as you can say about his current options in Olivier Giroud and Alvaro Morata. No matter how those higher ups whom questioned Sarri's judgment slice it, the strikers they've left him with have fallen short. The manager, come January, will still want that experienced goalscoring centre-forward he can lean on.

A day later and Torchia was reaffirming what all knew about Sarri and his old Empoli protege Rugani, "Chelsea made a very strong push to negotiate, Juve evaluated it, but the player never asked to leave."

Again, like Higuain, this was clearly an attempt driven by the manager. Sarri may claim he "never asks" for anyone specific, "I will train whoever I am given to work with, out of respect for those who must balance the books", he stated a fortnight ago. But he obviously had plenty of input over the summer.

How this went down with those young defenders already on the books is anyone's gue... erm, well, we can actually guess as it cannot be mere coincidence that hours after Torchia's claims were being run in the European press both Andreas Christensen and his father, Sten, went public with transfer threats of their own. A lack of minutes is one thing, but to learn that the manager is eager to bring in another centre-half, at similar age... it's understandable why the Christensen clan felt the need to speak out.

And spare a thought for Kurt Zouma. The decision to leave on-loan for Everton justified last week with a recall to France's World Cup winning squad. The lad hasn't put a foot wrong at Goodison. Yet the mixed messages coming from down south must be a concern. Is Rugani really better than what Chelsea already have?

For Sarri, to answer such a question, he could simply point to the impact of Jorginho. The same argument being made against continuing his pursuit of Rugani, would be getting aired today if Jorginho was still a Napoli player. If the lad from Tuscany is the defender Sarri wants, then how can the board deny him given the success of Jorginho?

But it is in midfield. Particularly in a Premier League ready midfield. Where Sarri will need to rethink his approach. The need for a new striker signing can be argued. Bringing in a new centre-half? The manager deserves to be backed. But Sarri's protests against United's "physical football" on Saturday matters little. If he wants to win such arm wrestles. If he wants to protect his prized asset - Hazard - from getting beaten up. The Chelsea manager needs to hire some muscle.

"It's normal when you play against a very strong team," Sarri stated after their 2-2 draw. "If you start to play a physical match, of course Manchester United is better than us."

But is that enough? No. Not if rival managers pick up on what Jose Mourinho had his players do on Saturday. Rough up Hazard. Shut down Jorginho. Shake them. Rattle them. Force them off the ball.

Chelsea had no-one capable of pushing back. Hazard was basically exposed. For the Belgian, the 90 minutes descended into a war of attrition. He really needs a minder.

And Sarri knows the score. He isn't averse to the "physical" side of the game. After all, he helped develop Kalidou Koulibaly into one of the most dominant centre-halves in Europe at Napoli. And he had Amadou Diawara under his wing for two seasons, signing the Guinea international from Bologna with the express purpose to beef up a midfield featuring the likes of Lorenzo Insigne and Marek Hamsik. There is room in Sarrismo for a powerful, ball-winning midfielder - and from the state of Hazard's ankles, the manager should seriously consider finding hisChelsea version of one sooner rather than later.

As he sat there in the home dugout. Chewing on his cigarettes. Sarri saw his Chelsea tested on Saturday like never before. But they still emerged with their unbeaten record intact. And playing a style of football not seen at the Bridge since the days of Carlo Ancelotti.

The new manager has surpassed expectations. If he still wants that new striker and young centre-half, he's done enough to be backed. And if a midfield minder is also raised for January, then why not? After all, good things do tend to come in threes.