Chelsea’s January transfer plans: Hulk, Higuain, Cahill?
Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas will be looking to add to his squad this transfer window after an inconsistent first-half of the season. The Portuguese gaffer's turbulent start to his Premier League career has filled the back pages with reports of bust-ups between AVB and some of the Blues more experienced players such as Frank Lampard, not to mention players handing in transfer requests, a £50million striker bumbling in the box and John Terry's impending court case. Never a club to be frugal with their pennies, AVB will be looking to continue the metamorphosis of his team by spending this month. Here, talkSPORT takes a look at where Chelsea will be splashing the cash this January…
WHERE THEY NEED TO STRENGTHEN
STRIKER: Nicolas Anelka has left for China, Didier Drogba could be following him and Fernando Torres can't seem to hit a barn door; the Chelsea strike force is looking more like a squeamish kitten than the roaring lion the club boasts on their badge. A bright spot has been the breakthrough of Daniel Sturridge, along with the trouble Juan Mata has caused opposition defences with his clever runs and assists. Now all that is needed is a quality striker to bang the goals in consistently. Spanish striker Torres has struggled to find form since his move to London, but with the right partner the former Liverpool star could find his scoring boots again.
CENTRE-BACK: Chelsea have looked decisively dodgy at the back this season - something we haven't been used to seeing over recent years. The Blues have not managed to replace Ricardo Carvalho after he left for Real Madrid in 2010 and it seems that David Luiz is not the right partner for John Terry at the back. The Brazilian has looked susceptible in defence so far this season and, with Terry not at his best during this campaign, not to mention Brazilian Alex falling out of favour, Chelsea could do with a couple of quality defenders to shore up the back four.
TRANSFER TARGETS
Gary Cahill has become the main 'will he, won't he' transfer rumour of the year. The Bolton centre-back has been discussing terms with Chelsea, but the move has stalled over his £120,000 a week wage demands. Out-of-contract in the summer and wanted by a host of other top clubs, Chelsea should move fast if they want to secure his services. The England international is a brilliant leader and, in the possible absence of Terry, the 26-year-old would be capable of stepping up to the plate to replace his international team-mate. Other defenders on the radar include Porto full-back Jorge Fucile and his team-mate Alvaro Pereira, and Vasco da Gama's exciting Brazilian defender Dede.?
Up front it's anyone's guess. Chelsea have been linked with a loan move for Juventus winger Milos Krasic, but AVB has kept quiet on who could join this month. There have been rumours of moves for Carlos Tevez and Kaka, as well as Real Madrid's in-form forward Gonzalo Higuain. If AVB can get Drogba to commit himself for the rest of the season, it is more likely he will spend in the summer as he looks to replace the ageing Ivorian, but you never know with Chelsea!
DREAM SIGNING: HULK
The Porto striker, who won the Europa League under Andre Villas-Boas last season, is desperately trying to convince Chelsea to meet his incredible (no pun intended) £84million release clause and bring him to the Premier League, saying: "You never know what tomorrow will bring, but if one day there was an attractive offer for me and the club, there would be no problem to reach an agreement, as long as it is amicable". The outstanding Brazilian striker has scored 14 goals in the Portuguese league this season, but dreams of winning at the top level. Somewhat honestly, the 25-year-old said: "In the world of football anything is possible, if a day arrives when an Arab Sheik wants to pay my release clause I will leave the club, but who's to say the rich clubs are interested in me."
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NEED TO GET RID OF: Salomon Kalou, Florent Malouda, Alex, Gael Kakuta (loan), Josh McEachran (loan)??
BUDGET: If Roman Abramovich can afford to spend £5million on a New Year's Eve party, he can certainly fork out £120,000 a week for Gary Cahill. The Russian oligarch appears to back his young manager and the £50million spent on Fernando Torres this time last year shows he's still not afraid to spend big money. With Anelka and possibly Kalou and Alex off the wage bill this month, with Drogba and Malouda set to move on before next season, there could be room for a few big names to arrive at Stamford Bridge, particularly with Champions League qualification for next season still in the balance. Will Chelsea play it cautious after least year's splurge on Torres and Luiz failed to pay dividends, or will Abramovich help AVB speed up the pace of change at Stamford Bridge and attempt to kickstart a stuttering campaign? It will be fascinating to watch it unfold!