After their summer transfer ban prevented them from making any pre-season acquisitions, Chelsea are now able to sign players for the first time in 12 months.
Manager Frank Lampard will be looking to bolster his squad as the Blues look to seal a top-four finish in the second-half of the season.
One area where the west London club will be looking to strengthen this window is at left-back, with current options Marcos Alonso and Emerson Palmieri unconvincing so far this season under Lampard.
Lampard will also be looking to bring in the striker to alleviate the pressure on in-form striker Tammy Abraham, while alternative options Michy Batshuayi and Olivier Giroud are out of favour at the club.
Edinson Cavani, Paris Saint-Germain
One striker Chelsea have enquired about is Paris Saint-Germain’s Edinson Cavani.
The 32-year-old has been limited to just eight Ligue 1 appearances so far this season and has struggled to provide successful competition for a starting spot against the likes of Neymar, Kylian Mbappé, Mauro Icardi and Angel Di Maria.
The Blues have been long-term admirers of the Uruguayan and could make a move for him on a free transfer as the striker’s contract runs out at the end of the season.
However, Cavani is reportedly set to meet with PSG’s sporting director Leonardo this week to potentially discuss a move away in January – which may force Chelsea’s hand.
Chelsea may face competition from Manchester United for Cavani’s signature, however, with the Red Devils looking to provide cover for striking options Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.
Moussa Dembele, Lyon
Another striker Chelsea are definitely interested in January is Lyon’s Moussa Dembele.
The French forward has 10 goals in 18 Ligue 1 games so far this season, with his eye for goal and devastating power and pace one of the main reasons why he is so sought after this window.
Dembele in no stranger to west London having played for neighbours Fulham between 2013 and 2016.
The forward scored 15 goals in 43 Championship games for the Cottagers before sealing a move to Celtic, where he won the double-treble with the Scottish giants in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
According to various reports, the Blues have had a £34m bid rejected for Dembele, with the French club expecting north of £40m for their star striker.
Despite the steep cost for a player who has limited experience in Europe, Chelsea have been urged by former striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink this week to seal a move for Dembele.
David Alaba, Bayern Munich
To solve the club’s left-back troubles, Chelsea have been linked with Bayern Munich’s full-back David Alaba in a prospective £60m move.
Despite winning eight Bundesliga titles with the Bavarian club during his career, Bayern have struggled in Germany’s top-flight this season and sit third in the table behind RB Leipzig and Borussia Monchengladbach.
Chelsea believe that they could tempt Alaba with a new challenge in the Premier League, with the Austrian left-back being a mainstay in Bayern’s side since he came through the club’s youth ranks in 2009.
Wilfried Zaha, Crystal Palace
The Blues may look closer to home, as Wilfried Zaha remains a potential transfer window mover from a tumultuous summer.
Signing Zaha would be a clever move for any top six side – the Ivory Coast winger is a proven Premier League player and can torment the league’s defenders across the whole front three.
Crystal Palace, however, are holding out for an £80m transfer fee for their star player, having rejected lower bids in the summer from Arsenal and Everton.
Chelsea’s London rivals Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly also keen on Zaha’s signature, with former Blues boss Jose Mourinho reportedly giving Spurs the green light to pay the large fee for the winger.
Nathan Aké, Bournemouth
Chelsea are also widely linked with a move for former defender Nathan Aké from Bournemouth.
The Dutch defender, who can also play at left-back, last played for the club in 2017 before sealing a £20m move to the Cherries that summer after an initial loan spell at Dean Court in the first-half of the 2016/17 season.
Having been virtually ever-present for Eddie Howe’s side since his permanent move, Chelsea are tempted to bring him back to Stamford Bridge but will reportedly need to sell once of their existing centre-half options before making a move for Aké.
The most likely candidate is Andreas Christensen, given Antonio Rudiger and Kurt Zouma’s popularity with current head coach Lampard and Fikayo Tomori’s potential in defence.
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