With the January transfer window fast approaching, it comes as no surprise that Chelsea are regularly topping the gossip columns of late, amidst plenty of speculation the club may well be one of the biggest movers and shakers when the mid-season market opens. A host of potential reinforcements have been highlighted, while those surplus to the plans of Maurizio Sarri could also take the opportunity to seek greener pastures elsewhere.
Although they were one of the biggest-spending clubs during the summer, with Jorginho costing £51.3 million and Kepa Arrizabalaga at £72 million setting the record as the most expensive goalkeeper, Chelsea appear ready to continue splashing out on additional key signings, now that Sarri has had almost half a season to fully assess the strengths and weaknesses of his squad.
Undoubtedly buoyed by how well the team has started the season with the Italian at the helm, including the excellent victory against reigning champions Manchester City which has shortened Chelsea’s Premier League betting odds to 66/1 for the title, confidence is high that Sarri can achieve further positive results on the road ahead with another important signing or two.
One player who has regularly been linked with interest from Stamford Bridge is Spanish midfielder Denis Suarez, with Barcelona ready to sell according to the Daily Star and the player reportedly keen to test his talents in the Premier League, having been unable to feature as regularly as he would like at the Camp Nou. The same reports also suggest the potential sale of Cesc Fabregas to AC Milan, could pave the way for 24-year-old Suarez to arrive in London.
Much has also been made of Alvaro Morata continuing to misfire with Chelsea, leading to continued expectations that Sarri would be content to offload the striker, sooner rather than later. The 26-year-old Spain international apparently seems keen on a move to Barcelona say Marca, despite having first made his name at their bitter arch-rivals, Real Madrid.
Should the chance of a departure help Chelsea recoup a decent portion of the £60 million they spent on Morata in July 2017, everything would seem to point to the club re-investing in another striker. Numerous media reports have suggested that top of Sarri’s shopping list is Argentine scorer Mauro Icardi, although Spanish newspaper AS suggest Real Madrid are ready to pounce, after Inter Milan failed to qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League.
Meanwhile, should any approach for Icardi fail to bear fruit, then another South American option would appear to be on the table, if Yahoo Sports reports about Edinson Cavani are to be believed. It might be true that the Uruguayan striker has been pushed down the PSG pecking order by Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, but whether Chelsea would spend big on a 31-year-old remains another question entirely, even with his exceptional scoring record.
Finally, amidst the constant speculation that Eden Hazard continues to look towards a future elsewhere, namely a ‘dream’ move to Real Madrid next summer, the option of bringing in Christian Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund would seem to have hit a brick wall. Their sporting director Michael Zorc has ruled out such a move, insisting the American playmaker will still be with the German club come February, with Liverpool and Man Utd also said to be interested.
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