Chelsea fans in the Transfer Tavern have had to endure their most difficult spell in recent memory and the pressure is on to turn things around.
Fortunately, the daily papers suggest Jose Mourinho has an ace up his sleeve in the form of Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain- and fans at the bar are asking who could join the Argentine hitman at Stamford Bridge.
There’s been plenty of gossip in the papers, with Mourinho having plenty of holes to plug in his squad, and it could prove to be a busy January- but these five targets would be welcome additions for the immediate future and the long-term.
With Chelsea’s experienced side reaching the back-end of their illustrious careers, a number of these players would be seen as great successors to numerous club legends- as long as they can be persuaded to make the switch to West London!
Hit Higuain below to see FIVE players who could join the Argentine forward at Chelsea in January!
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Javier Hernandez
The former Manchester United striker has emerged as a shock striking target for Jose Mourinho in January, with the Chelsea boss ready to shake-up his strike-force completely due to the unimpressive performances of Radamel Falcao and Loic Remy.
Having only joined Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, and being a firm-favourite in the Bundesliga, Chelsea will find it difficult to lure the Mexican striker away from Germany but Hernandez may feel he has unfinished business in England with the intention to prove Louis Van Gaal wrong.
Paco Alcacer
Another striking target to shake-up the Blues attack is an exciting one, as Valencia’s Paco Alcacer would present an immediate boost to the squad as well as having the capability to star for the Blues in the coming years.
The Spaniard would prove to be an expensive addition, with Valencia shrewd negotiators, but Chelsea have money to spend and could fund a move with the sale of underperforming players and those ousted from the first-team set-up.
Radamel Falcao could also be used, though that’s a fleeting thought.
John Stones
Chelsea have had a big problem in defence this season and many have wondered if the same would have been the case had the summer pursuit of John Stones panned out differently. The Blues are still keen on the England international but his price-tag has risen further.
Whilst Stones would cost a hefty-sum, he’d be the perfect long-term replacement for John Terry and could forge an exciting partnership with French U21 international Kurt Zouma; creating a strong heart at the defence to last for years to come.
Marquinhos
Another defensive option for Jose Mourinho is a player who, like Stones, interested Chelsea in the summer. The Blues approach for Marquinhos fell on deaf ears, with Paris Saint-Germain not keen on parting ways with the youngster but the situation may have changed.
The Brazilian continues to play second-fiddle to compatriots Thiago Silva and David Luiz in the French capital and may be tempted by an offer of regular first-team football. Chelsea could use that to their advantage but a move would still be costly.
Mauro Icardi
A final striking target is one that would be considered the most likely to happen, with Roberto Mancini currently outcasting the impressive Mauro Icardi from his first-team at Inter Milan- and the Argentine is heavily tipped with an exit.
Rated as one of South America’s finest attacking prospects in years, Chelsea would face strong competition for Icardi’s signature and the potential lack of Champions League football next season could hurt their chances. However, they have the money to soften those concerns.
