After a tight Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg encounter where Chelsea fell to a 1-0 defeat to Tottenham, the two London rivals could yet do battle again before the second leg at Stamford Bridge.

With the January transfer window now open, the Premier League outfits are likely to be on the lookout for possible reinforcements, and a midfielder from Serie A is rumoured to be on the shortlist of both clubs.

The Breakdown

In his ESPN column, journalist David Amoyal has suggested that there is a 30% chance of AC Milan's Franck Kessie joining Tottenham, though Chelsea would hold the advantage in any potential transfer saga due to Tiemoue Bakayoko, who is currently on loan at the San Siro from Stamford Bridge.

Should Tottenham, however, manage to beat their enemy to the signature of the £31.5m-rated (Transfermarkt) 22-year-old, it is not something Maurizio Sarri should lose sleep over.

With N'Golo Kante, Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic, Ross Barkley and the potential arrival of either one of Nicolo Barella or Leandro Paredes, Chelsea have enough to get by in midfield until the end of the season.

And if Ruben Loftus-Cheek can overcome his ongoing back problem, that is another brilliant long-term option in the middle of the park for Sarri with the England international having not disappointed when called upon this term.

Forget going to war with Tottenham over a midfielder that is not an absolute necessity. Rather, Chelsea should be concentrating their efforts on bringing in a new No.9.