Chelsea Transfer News: Falcao, Fellaini... Five Players the Blues Could Target in January

Radamel Falcao Following the departure of Didier Drogba, Chelsea are believed to have been looking for a top striker to provide competition for Fernando Torres. With Edinson Cavani having committed his future to Napoli, Chelsea could well make a renewed attempt to sign the man thought to be their other main target, Radamel Falcao.

Speculation over Chelsea moving for the Colombian went into overdrive following his sensational first-half hat-trick against the Blues in the Uefa Super Cup. While reports in Colombia claimed a deal had already been done to sign the 26-year-old, the player's father has claimed that there is a good chance the player will move to England in January with Falcao a big fan of Chelsea. Especially if Torres fails to fire on all cylinders, expect Abramovich to sanction what would be a huge transfer fee come the new year.

Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa The 23-year-old led Montpellier to their first Ligue 1 title last season and has subsequently gone onto  make his debut for France and start their opening World Cup qualifier. Yanga-Mbiwa was heavily linked to Arsenal and Milan during the summer with Chelsea also thought to be monitoring the central defender.

While Chelsea have a good stock of defenders there is room perhaps for one more player, especially with John Terry likely to increasingly struggle with fitness as he approached his 32nd birthday. Whether Yanga-Mbiwa would be prepared to accept what would likely be, at least initially, a place on the bench seems doubtful, however.

Marouane Fellaini There was an element of surprise that both Michael Essien and Raul Meireles were allowed to depart in the closing embers of the transfer window. While it appeared that neither were likely to be first-choice under Roberto Di Matteo, their exit has left Chelsea short in central midfield.

John Mikel Obi looks to be favored in the role of adding some tenacity in the midfield, although doubts remain about his ability at the very highest level. Fellaini has suggested that he could look to leave Everton in the very near future, quotes that are likely to interest Chelsea, who have been linked to the Belgium international in the past. A complete midfielder, Fellaini could operate as the anchorman in the middle or be used as a potential replacement for Frank Lampard as a player capable of getting forward and scoring from deep.

Andre Schurrle Chelsea were keen to sign the German international forward during the summer and even had a £16 million offer rejected. A renewed bid was mooted before the transfer deadline, but it was reported that the move was contingent on Daniel Sturridge moving on-loan to Liverpool.

The Germany international could offer a natural left-footed option on the left of Chelsea's attack or provide cover and competition for Torres in a central role. A £20 million offer may be enough to secure the highly-rated 21-year-old come January.

Theo Walcott Although Arsenal claim they intend on keeping Walcott at the club, that resolve could be sorely tested come January. The England winger has rejected Arsenal's offer of a new contract and, with less than 12 months remaining on his deal, the situation is increasingly precarious. Walcott could decide to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with another club come January, while Arsenal could also decide to utilize the last opportunity to recoup a fee for the 23-year-old.

Chelsea have long been linked to Walcott and could decide to make a cut-price move. The signing of Victor Moses, who is also primarily a right-sided winger, would make the signing of Walcott a strange one in many ways, but Chelsea have not always paid attention to the structure of their squad when the opportunity presents itself for a big-name player. The biggest hindrance to a move could well be Walcott's likely ineligibility to play in the Champions League.