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#3 Emerson Palmieri
After Ben Chilwell's unfortunate injury, Chelsea have reportedly considered cutting short the loan deal of Italian defender Emerson Palmieri at Olympique Lyonnais. The 27-year-old moved to the French club on a one-year loan deal shortly after the Blues club won the UEFA Super Cup against Villarreal.
Emerson was a squad player under Thomas Tuchel in the German's first half-season at Stamford Bridge. He only appeared five times in the UEFA Champions League and FA Cup after Tuchel's appointment, with just two of them being starts. Emerson scored the second goal against Atletico Madrid in the Round of 16 second leg as Chelsea won 2-0.
Since his move to Chelsea from AS Roma, Emerson has never been a starter for the club as he has never been given a steady run of games to prove his worth. The injury to Ben Chilwell may be a blessing in disguise for Emerson in terms of his career at Chelsea.
The defender has played 18 times so far for the struggling Lyon side, making him one of their key players. A return to Chelsea was planned for the end of the season, but we may see Emerson back in Chelsea blues much sooner than that.
#2 Nicolas Tagliafico
When it comes to disgruntled employees, Argentina and Ajax defender Nicolas Tagliafico is the perfect man to speak with. The 29-year-old left-back has barely been utilized by Ajax boss Erik Ten Haag this season. He has played 13 times in all competitions for Ajax, contributing one goal and assist each in that time.
Tagliafico is reportedly unhappy with his situation at the club, and is willing to leave Ajax in search of more game time. Before Chelsea signed Ben Chilwell, Tagliafico was one of the club's top targets, but Chilwell was ultimately preferred over him. The Argentine defender has been made available for sale by Ajax in anticipation of a bid in January.
For Chelsea, signing him would be a good deal because of his experience and quality. Tagliafico is an adept contributor at both ends of the pitch, and has the stamina to dominate the left flank. His age also makes him a low-risk purchase for the club as he would not cost too much money.
#1 Lucas Digne
Lucas Digne has not featured for Everton since having a public disagreement with manager Rafael Benitez in training. The Frenchman reportedly feels shackled by Benitez's methods at the club. The 28-year old is concerned by the lack of freedom to contribute to his side's attack, something he feels he is well-suited to.
With Everton looking to raise funds and bring in more players, the club seems willing to cut Digne loose for the right price. Digne's situation seems tailor-made for Chelsea to intervene in, as they require a player of his profile to cover for Ben Chilwell's absence.
The cost implication of such a move would also not be huge, as the club is reportedly proposing a six-month loan deal for the Frenchman. First contacts have been made between Chelsea and Everton, and Digne seems to be the club's preferred option to fill the void created by the injury to Ben Chilwell.
