Although Chelsea haven’t been heavily linked with any big names during the January transfer window, expect to still see plenty of movement from within Stamford Bridge.
We managed to speak with Football London reporter Bobby Vincent to get the latest from the Blues.
A recall for Emerson?
With Ben Chilwell out for the season with a knee injury, there have been reports that Thomas Tuchel is looking at a replacement left-back to fill in for the England international. However, Chelsea still have Emerson Palmieri under contract at the club. The 27-year-old is currently on-loan at Lyon and the club have thought about bringing him back for the second half of the campaign.
“We know Chelsea are trying to (bring him back),” Vincent said. “There wasn’t a straight recall option as the club weren’t expecting a situation like this. If they were to get him then they would have to pay Lyon a bit of compensation.
“I think that is a move we could see this month. There’s just not that many options out there. Lucas Digne is on his way to Aston Villa. I don’t think Chelsea were willing to pay £20m for him.
“I think Emerson will probably come back.”
“Chelsea not even close in Rudiger negotiations”
The biggest transfer storyline that’s ran on all season is whether Antonio Rudiger will sign a new deal at the club. The Germany international can now sign a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs and has been approached by Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Vincent touched on how far the two parties are in terms of an agreement.
Tuchel confident of Rudiger contract renewal
“What I will say about Rudiger is there’s so many rumours going about at the moment. All I know for sure is Chelsea want to keep him, but at the moment they’re not even close when it comes to negotiations,” Vincent added.
“I don’t know the figure but apparently what Rudiger wants would make him one of if not the highest paid player in the Premier League.
“He’s been very good, he’s been one of the best defenders since Tuchel came in, but I can’t see Chelsea paying a 28-year-old centre-back that much. Centre-backs, apart from Virgil van Dijk or prime Sergio Ramos tend not to get paid that much.
“I personally don’t see him signing a new contract, I think he would have by now.”
Traore choosing the Blues over Tottenham?
It would seem like a long shot, but Chelsea have a history of hijacking deals when they seem to be finished. Adama Traore has been linked to Tottenham in recent days, where Antonio Conte sees him as the solution to the club’s wing-back troubles.
“Conte is known to be a big fan of Traore,” Vincent said.
“He has been over the last few years. There’s also rumours that Barcelona wanted him. I can’t see Chelsea doing anything on that front.”
This deal does feel like it would be one of the huge January window shocks, should it happen.
