The Blues are still in dire need of a prolific goal-scorer up front, and it would be no surprise to see them spend big to land one in the new year
It's one of the worst-kept secrets in football that Chelsea will pursue a new, hopefully prolific striker at the earliest possibly opportunity, having somehow allowed the summer transfer window to pass them by without signing the elite frontman that they so desperately need. January, though, is just around the corner – bringing with it a chance to renew, restart and right some wrongs.
The new-year transfer window is usually met with tight-fistedness and a reluctance to disturb the balance of a squad mid-season, but in 2023 Chelsea raged against those conventions as they splurged more than £320 million ($405m) on seven permanent new signings, while Joao Felix signed on loan.
Don't be surprised, then, if the Blues' owners peel open their bottomless wallets once again this time around. Head coach Mauricio Pochettino is believed to want as many as three reinforcements, with a striker chief among them, but who could they realistically sign in the January transfer window?
(C)Getty ImagesVictor Osimhen (Napoli)
The notion of spending a record fee in the January transfer window would normally seem farfetched, but Chelsea's unprecedented spend in the winter of 2023 dictates that we should expect the unexpected.
Osimhen is seemingly the man at the top of the Blues' shortlist whether they land him immediately or in the summer, and they are supposedly willing to break the bank again to do so.
Their case may well be helped by the deterioration of the Nigerian's relationship with Napoli amid a contract standoff, but they should heed caution; this is not the same prolific frontman who fired his side to the Scudetto in 2022-23, although injuries, off-field issues, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's drop-off in form and managerial mismatches have not helped.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesIvan Toney (Brentford)
If Chelsea want a proven Premier League goal-scorer cut from the same cloth as Didier Drogba and Diego Costa, then they should look no further. Toney has flourished since Brentford's promotion in 2021 and seemed destined for his best campaign to date after hitting the 20-goal mark last season.
However, he has, of course, sat out the past seven months having been handed a severe punishment for betting breaches back in May. The 27-year-old hasn't kicked a ball in competitive action since, and he wasn't even allowed to train with his club until September. He won't return until mid-January, and that's before he's up to match sharpness.
Despite his Premier League pedigree, it therefore represents a significant risk to spend northwards of £60m ($75m) on someone who has been out of action for so long, especially when Chelsea cannot afford another failed transfer.
(C)GettyImagesSantiago Gimenez (Feyenoord)
Something of a wildcard option, Gimenez has been scoring at an astounding rate in the Eredivisie, including a pair of hat-tricks against Ajax and Excelsior. As we approach the midway point in the season, he has 20 goals in 19 games.
Unsurprisingly, that remarkable streak has caught the eye of magpies Chelsea, who are said to be considering the Mexican as an alternative if other options, such as Osimhen, prove too costly.
There is always risked attached to signing those who are shining outside of Europe's top-five leagues, with a host of players failing to translate their form in the Netherlands to the Premier League in the past. But, at a relatively cheap price of £35m ($44m) without add-ons, Gimenez might just represent a calculated mid-season gamble worth taking.
Getty ImagesViktor Gyokeres (Sporting CP)
Brighton don't often make mistakes in the transfer window, but they may well regret selling Gyokeres to Coventry back in 2021.
After two prolific seasons in the Championship, the Swede has joined Sporting, where he has already rattled in 13 goals in 18 games in all competitions. Despite being a striker, he's handily provided seven assists, too.
Pochettino has admitted he wants to improve the overall height of his squad, and at 6'2 Gyokeres would fit the role. He is the most recent name to be linked with Chelsea, but an £87m ($109m) release clause will surely be a stumbling block so early in his time in Portugal.