A round-up of a host of talent said to be on the Stamford Bridge radar.
Luis Suarez could be snapped up for £40million at the end of the season – after it emerged the striker has a release clause in his contract, writes the Sunday People.
The news gives new hope to Chelsea and Manchester City as they move for the Liverpool star.
Kop boss Brendan Rodgers is desperate to keep hold of the Uruguayan and the player has said he is committed to trying to help them back into the Champions League.
But his value was quoted at £50million when City’s interest was reported recently – and it is now thought Suarez could leave for less than that.
It’s an intriguing situation Liverpool will want to play down. But whispers have been coming out of Anfield about the £40million trigger, and sources close to the player have confirmed to Sunday People Sport a clause does exist.
SOURCE: Sunday People
If such a clause does indeed exist then Liverpool may have ever reason to be concerned that Luis Suarez's excellent form this term will persuade any number of clubs to meet the asking price and this source believes big spenders Chelsea and Manchester City are ready to make their interest known.
The 25 year old former Ajax forward is Liverpool's only effective goal-scoring weapon and currently leads the Premier League top scorers list despite the Merseyside club's off colour start to the campaign. Brendan Rodgers will hope that he doesn't see his star performer sold but he must be concerned that such a deal could become a possibility if Liverpool fail to make ground on a top four race.
Chelsea would appear to be in more dire need of fresh firepower as currently the West London side over-relies on misfiring Spaniard Fernando Torres, whereas Roberto Mancini has four top notch strikers; Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez, Edin Dzeko and Mario Balotelli, and only Man United have scored more Premier League goals this season.
Liverpool wisely spent £22.8m to land Suarez in January 2011 and he hasn't disappointed, scoring 34 goals in 70 appearances in all competitions whilst becoming something of a fan favourite with the club's supporters in the process.
According to TuttoMercato claim that Chelsea and Man City have both held 'secret' talks with Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi about a potential January move to the Premier League.
The 29 year old Italian international has been strongly linked with a Stadio Olimpico exit after reportedly clashing with new boss Zdenek Zeman and De Rossi may well be opening up to the idea of leaving Roma for the English top tier after 13 seasons at the Serie A side.
Chelsea may feel they could do with a box to box midfielder and Roberto Mancini is known to be interested in the tough tackling battler for some time.
If De Rossi is keen on a move to England then it may well spark a bidding war between the two of the richest sides in the league, which may help Roma to elicit as big a fee as possible from the experienced midfielder.
Having collected five Serie A runners-up medals Daniele De Rossi may feel the time is right to move on and begin a new challenge and after his irresponsible sending off in the Rome derby, for punching Lazio's Stefano Mauri in the head, owner James Pallotta may be ready to cash in on the local born Giallorossi hero.
Chelsea are reportedly set to make a January offer for experienced Juventus forward Alessandro Matri according to Italian source TuttoMercato.
Roberto Di Matteo has set his sights on the 28 year old Italian international as he looks to beef up his attacking options having hitherto over relied on the not so prolific talents of Fernando Torres.
This source believes the West London side will make an offer in the region of €8m (£6.4m) for the former Cagliari man, a bid that may well not come anywhere near the Turin side's valuation of a player who finished as the club's top scorer in Serie A action last term.
Juventus has not called upon Matri as frequently as last term, preferring instead to use the likes of Fabio Quagliarella and Mirko Vucinic for attacking options, thus perhaps leaving the Turin side to considering offers for the one time AC Milan man.
If Di Matteo is looking to bring in a player who can hit the back of the net with more regularity than Torres a move for Matri may disappoint, if the idea is to bring the Italian in to act as a solid back up then perhaps he is the right man for the job.
Italian source CalcioMercato claim that Chelsea are interested in QPR flair player Adel Taarabt.
There is no denying the raw talent Moroccan international Taarabt possesses but as was all to evident on the weekend the 23 year old is in many ways a luxury player who so rarely delivers. The former Tottenham man is very much an example of style over substance.
For all the tricks and turns there is very little end product and as evidenced in QPR's trip to Old Trafford on Saturday, the QPR man gives the ball away far too frequently and is repeatedly guilty of over-egging the pudding with one to many twist or turn.
Factor in that Chelsea have a host of players of a similar style to Taarabt, but ten times more reliable and effective, and a move for the Loftus Road man just looks incredibly pointless.
Given that the Blues have the likes of Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and Oscar, why would they entertain the possibility of signing Adel Taarabt? This rumour can probably be consigned to the 'Never going to happen' pile.
Chelsea and Tottenham target Willian will not be allowed to leave Shakhtar Donetsk for anything less than £28million, according to the Ukrainian side's coach Mircea Lucescu.
The Brazilian was thought to be close to moving to White Hart Lane in the summer and has been a long-term target for Chelsea.
But Shakhtar have slapped a huge price-tag on the 24-year-old, who has also attracted interest from Inter Milan.
"If [Inter president Massimo] Moratti asks me about Willian, I will tell him that Shakhtar want to achieve things in Europe and will not sell their players. There's the buy-out clause, though, which is €35m (£28m) for Willian," Lucescu told Tuttosport.
SOURCE: talkSPORT
So Mircea Lucescu doesn't want to sell Willian but is at pains to tell the world that they will do if his £28m release clause is met, which kind of defeats the purpose.
The Brazilian playmaker was strongly pursued by Tottenham over the summer but were not willing to meet that asking price however the form shown by the 24 year old, especially in the Champions League, may well mean that such a sum is not so hefty after all.
Andre Villas-Boas may feel his side is missing midfield creativity having seen Luka Modric and Rafael Van der Vaart leave over the summer and Roberto Di Matteo will have been impressed by Willian's displays in the Blues two encounters with Shakhtar Donestk, during which the attacking midfielder netted twice at Stamford Bridge.
According to Portuguese source Abola Chelsea will fight Juventus for Barcelona forward David Villa.
The West London side continue to pursue the experienced Spanish international who may well be keen on a Nou Camp departure due to the fact that he is by no means guaranteed a first team spot under boss Tito Vilanova and talk of an apparent falling out with Argentine Lionel Messi may well play a part in a possible exit from the Catalan giants.
The former Valencia man hasn't made the biggest of impacts since his move to the Spanish giants from Valencia and a long term injury further stifled his progress at Barcelona and there are perhaps two good reasons why the 30 year old could be open to a move to a move to Stamford Bridge.
Villa's most prolific period in the Spanish national team set-up occurred when he formed part of a two pronged attack with Fernando Torres, who is of course manfully trying to get his Chelsea career back on track after a poor opening period following his £50m move from Liverpool.
Secondly at club level David Villa enjoyed a great three year spell at the Metalla alongside Juan Mata. During this spell both players grew immensely and Roberto Di Matteo may believe the addition of a lethal finisher at the spearhead of his Blues attack could greatly improve their chances of securing a Premier League title and continued Champions League success.
Didier Drogba: Chelsea launch bid to bring back striker in loan deal
Chelsea are in talks over a deal that could see former striker Didier Drogba return to Stamford Bridge from Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua on loan.
The Ivory Coast international, 34, wants to stay fit to prepare for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations as the Chinese season has finished.
Drogba has asked Fifa for permission to move outside the transfer window.
Chelsea are short of attacking options with Fernando Torres out of form and Daniel Sturridge injured.
"The Fifa administration services are looking into it," Fifa said in a statement.
SOURCE: BBC Sport
This is a move that may well suit all parties.
Chelsea could do with attacking alternatives and Blues fans will no doubt be excited to see one of their heroes make an emotional return to the club to Stamford Bridge. Didier Drogba then gets to keep himself fully fit and ready ahead of the African Cup of Nations.
The 34 year old will have to hope that the football's world governing body allows such a move to take place, which could in turn set a precedent Sepp Blatter may or may not be ready to make.
Drogba helped Chelsea to a Champions League and FA Cup triumphs last term and has scored regularly in China and still has the ability to make an impact back at the club where he became a cult favourite with the West London side's fanbase.
Rafa Benitez will be happy to see Drogba return prior to the January transfer window but will no doubt be looking to bring in a striker or two when the window re-opens as Chelsea currently overly rely on Fernando Torres, who has struggled for form after a decent start to the campaign.
The Daily Mirror is of the impression that Roman Abramovich will lavish interim boss Rafa Benitez with riches so as to help beef up his Blues squad in January.
One would imagine that the trio named by this source were already very much on the Chelsea wish-list long before the Spaniard rolled into town but nonetheless they are still players who could help the West London side challenge for the title, but they won't come cheap.
Radamel Falcao
The Daily Mirror believes that Chelsea are willing to pay £40m+ for the 26 year old Colombian but Atletico Madrid's great start to the season, ten wins in their first dozen La Liga matches, may well be getting in the way of Chelsea's interest in the former FC Porto man.
Falcao has slammed in 49 goals in 62 matches since his move to the Vicente Calderon side and he could well be the prolific marksman the Blues could do with having ahead of their ludicrously creative midfield. Currently placing off-form Fernando Torres ahead of Eden Hazard, Oscar and Juan Mata is not working and back up options Daniel Sturridge and loaned out Romelu Lukaku may well not be up for the task either.
If by January Atletico have fallen away then a big money offer may seem more amenable to both the player and his employers.
Andre Schurrle
The German will apparently cost £20m+ and having failed with two previous bids for the Bayer Leverkusen man there is a distinct possibility that Chelsea will look to make it third time lucky. Schurrle has been in excellent form in recent weeks and could well be keen on a move to the Premier League, especially after his side failed to secure a Champions League berth.
The 22 year old has perhaps saved his best form for national team duty and the youngster's ability to play in a number of attacking roles is a further string to his bow.
Paulinho
Apparently the Brazilian midfielder is Rafa Benitez's priority number one signing and clearly the Corinthians star could be interested in joining the host of international team-mates who are already at the Bridge. Paulinho would join fellow countrymen Oscar, Ramires, David Luiz and Lucas Piazon.
The box to box performer could perhaps be seen as an ideal midfield partner for Ramires and could offer the combined abilities of a defensive midfielder and a playmaker that could negate the need to use John Obi Mikel in Chelsea's starting eleven.
It would take a fairly hefty offer to land the in-form midfielder but then money doesn't appear to be an issue with Abramovich at present. The Daily Mail value Paulinho at £9m.
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