- 21 hours ago
Five players who could join Chelsea in January
Suraj Radia
- 19 Dec 2024 22:20 GMT
- 4 min read
Chelsea have been the biggest spenders in world football since the takeover of Todd Boehly and Clearlake in 2022, splashing out more than €1.4billion on players in that time.
The Blues made no fewer than 11 signings in the summer as they had another window of upheaval, particularly after replacing Mauricio Pochettino with Enzo Maresca as their manager.
However, the heavy spending appears to be paying off as Chelsea approach the January transfer window fighting for the title right behind Premier League leaders Liverpool.
READ MORE: Chelsea’s 10 most expensive transfers of all time
Maresca’s side could look to strengthen in the winter to improve their credentials and FootballTransfers explores five players who could make the move to Stamford Bridge in January.
Tomas Araujo
Chelsea will likely focus on sales in January and, with defenders such as Ben Chilwell, Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi all among the candidates to leave, having been on the fringes of Maresca’s team this season.
A departure for Badiashile or Disasi in particular would perhaps see Chelsea dip into the market for a replacement, especially with ongoing fitness concerns over Wesley Fofana.
Current ETV
Tomás Araújo
D (C)
Tomás Araújo
D (C)
Benfica
ETV Range
€4.7M - €7.8M
A move for Benfica’s Tomas Araujo has been considered after the 22-year-old’s breakthrough into the first team and, with Chelsea having scouted the centre-back for a number of years, the Blues may turn to familiar territory with a big money deal in January.
Victor Osimhen
Chelsea’s faith in Nicolas Jackson has been rewarded this season, with the 23-year-old proving a reliable option in attack with nine goals in 15 games.
But there are still doubts over Chelsea’s firepower up front, particularly with Christopher Nkunku pushing to leave, meaning a move for another option to Jackson could be on the agenda.
A move for Victor Osimhen may again be on the agenda, with the on-loan Galatasaray striker willing to lower his demands to seal a permanent exit from Napoli, perhaps prompting Chelsea to finally sign their long-term transfer target.
Jonathan David
Osimhen may perhaps prove too costly for Chelsea to target in January, while the Nigerian star will only take minutes away from Jackson in the long-term.
Chelsea could, therefore, look towards a cheaper option who is still a proven goalscorer yet may be a more suitable alternative to Jackson up front.
STATS
Jonathan David
F (C)
Jonathan David
F (C)
Lille
With his contract set to expire in 2025, Lille will be open to a cut-price sale for Jonathan David, although the competition will be strong for the Canadian who has netted 11 goals in 15 Ligue 1 games this season.
Caoimhin Kelleher
Despite Chelsea having an impressive season defensively, only one player has made more mistakes leading to a goal than goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
Neither Sanchez nor cup keeper Filip Jorgensen, who was signed for €24.5m in the summer, have seemingly convinced Maresca that they can be his long-term number one.
Caoimhin Kelleher is expected to leave Liverpool in 2025 after failing to oust Allison as Arne Slot’s number one and the Irish international has been linked with Chelsea, although the Blues would need to sell Sanchez or Jorgensen if they were to target another keeper.
Vitor Reis
Chelsea may choose to continue their pursuit of talented South American teenagers, having signed player such as Kendry Paez, Willian Estevao and Aaron Anselmino over the past year.
Another youngster Chelsea have been linked with is Vitor Reis, the 18-year-old Palmeiras defender who has already had bids in excess of €20 million rejected for him.
However, Chelsea will reportedly face significant competition from the likes of Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain in the race for a player who has a €100m release clause.
