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Chelsea are reportedly in the hunt for a new striker in the January transfer window, and could also see some movement in the midfield and center-back areas.
According to the Athletic's David Ornstein, the Blues want a new forward, and there could even be a pre-agreement 'for a player to arrive once the season finishes'. Brentford's Ivan Toney is apparently not high on their wishlist.
Chelsea currently have Armando Broja and Nicolas Jackson as their recognized options up front. They have scored 28 times in 17 league games this season, with only one team (Manchester United) scoring fewer goals than them in the top 10.
Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres and Napoli's Victor Osimhen are among the strikers linked with the west London giants in recent weeks. The latter, however, has apparently penned a new deal until June 2026 with Napoli, which includes a €130 million release clause.
Elsewhere, Ornstein claims that the club could sign a new center-back in the winter with Thiago Silva set to enter the last six months of his contract. The 39-year-old Brazilian may not be handed another renewal, which would leave a big void in Mauricio Pochettino's defense in the summer.
On top of that, Wesley Fofana and Trevoh Chalobah haven't played a single minute this season due to injuries. The latter, as per the journalist, is up for sale in the winter. He further adds that the Blues have ample depth in midfield, which is why they could listen to offers for Conor Gallagher.
The English midfielder, 23, has been on the radars of Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United and is set to enter the last 18 months of his contract.
Chelsea enter EFL Cup semifinals after thrilling win against Newcastle
Newcastle United were seconds away from making the EFL Cup semifinals for the second year running. Last year's finalists took the lead in the 16th minute against Chelsea through Callum Wilson and held onto it until the 90 minutes were up.
But a mistake from Kieran Trippier in his own box in stoppage time saw Mykhaylo Mudryk pounce on the opportunity and equalize. The game went to penalties after the two teams failed to score the winner in the last few minutes of the game.
Trippier was among the two Newcastle players who missed their spot-kicks to hand Chelsea a 4-2 win on penalties. The Blues will now face Middlesbrough in a two-legged semi-final in January, with Liverpool and Fulham playing each other in the other semi-final.
The Blues reached the final of the competition in the 2021-22 season, where they lost 11-10 on penalties to Liverpool. They have won the EFL Cup five times and their last triumph came in March 2015, under Jose Mourinho.
