5 players Chelsea want to sign in January

Whilst Chelsea's current squad remains strong, there are some weaknesses outside of the starting XI. Depth is an issue, especially in defense, so Sarri will be on the lookout for players to come in and fill these gaps next month.

Chelsea currently sit 4th in the Premier League, as of writing, and are eight points off the top spot. If they want to keep pushing until the end of the season, they'll need to bolster their squad.

Now that we're deep into winter, players will be picking up injuries as a result of the cold weather, as well as illnesses like the flu - which can see a player be out for a week or more. So depth is more important than ever.

In this list, we'll look at five players who Chelsea have been linked with recently, and determine just how probable these transfers are.

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#5 Andreas Pereira (Manchester United)

Andreas Pereira is a 22-year-old attacking midfielder who currently plays for Manchester United. He was signed from PSV's youth academy back in 2012 and was developed from there through Manchester United's U18 and U23 squads.

Pereira was sent out on loan in the summer of 2016 to Spanish side Granada CF. He played fairly well here and featured prominently in the side, but returned to United still nowhere near the level required to slot into the first team squad.

A year later, Pereira made the switch to Valencia, where he would go on to make a big impact with the club and finally start to turn heads back in Manchester. He featured in 23 matches for the club in LaLiga, scoring once and assisting three goals.

Since returning to United, Pereira has only played four matches in the Premier League. He's simply not an asset to the United side, which is why it's likely that the club would be open to offers in January. He has the ability to do great things for a club, but United simply isn't the one.

Rumour probability: 5/10

TalkSPORT have reported that Arsenal and Chelsea will attempt to make a January swoop for out of favour midfielder Andreas Pereira. He's out of contract in the summer, and whilst United have the option to extend his deal by another year, Pereira might have other ideas.

First team football is a must for a player of his age, and if he isn't going to get it anytime soon at Man United, then he needs to look elsewhere - for the sake of his career.

#4 Isco (Real Madrid)

Isco's relationship with new Madrid boss, Santiago Solari, has been deteriorating rapidly in recent months and has resulted in the midfielder dropping to the bench. His game time is very low compared to previous seasons, which has meant that Isco has become very unhappy at the Bernabeu.

Clubs have picked up on the fact that he's unsettled, and have already drawn up plans to make a move for him in January. However, trying to prise a player of his caliber away from Real Madrid will be difficult, especially given how important he really is to the side - whether Solari wishes to admit it or not.

Isco has only featured in 11 games in LaLiga so far, which is a far cry from the standard 30 or more matches he would typically play in each season previously.

Rumour probability: 7/10

The Metro have reported that Chelsea will submit a £70m bid to sign Isco from Real Madrid next month. With Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United also interested in the Spaniard, things could heat up very quickly. While City might be the frontrunners due to their vast wealth, Chelsea could be a more ideal place to settle down than Manchester.

#3 Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund)

Christian Pulisic might still only be 20 years old but he possesses an ability way beyond his years.

The United States international was transferred from Pennsylvania Classics to Borussia Dortmund U17 in February 2015, on a free. He then spent the next couple of years developing and progressing through the ranks, shifting from the U17s to the U19s in the space of a few months.

He made his debut for Dortmund in January 2016, at the age of 17. He played in nine matches over the rest of the season, scoring twice. The following season he was already a prominent member of the first team, featuring in 29 matches, where he scored three and assisted six goals. Things only got better for the American from here.

Naturally, his performances in the Bundesliga turned heads, and it wasn't long before the big clubs began to circle. The likes of Chelsea and Arsenal had tried to sign Pulisic last summer, but Dortmund didn't entertain any bids at the time.

But this time, with Chelsea reportedly offering £70m to bring the youngster to London, the board at Dortmund might find it difficult to turn down such a price.

Rumour probability: 6/10

Liverpool are also eager to sign Pulisic next month, so Chelsea will need to act fast if they want their man. Pulisic would suit either team tactically and would offer a great boost to both teams' attacking options. He's dynamic, fast and has an eye for goal that has seen him sink many clubs in the past couple of seasons. He would relish his time in the Premier League, no doubt.

#2 Nicolo Barella (Cagliari)

Nicolo Barella's name is ubiquitous in the media right now; he's been linked with so many high-profile clubs this winter that it's a struggle for most people to even keep up with what's going on.

It's no secret that a player of Barella's caliber deserves to be at a club of more prestige than Cagliari, especially now that he plays for Italy. He made his debut for Italy in October and has featured for the Azzurri four times since then. Now that he's reached a certain pedigree in his career, it's time for him to move onto bigger and better things

Rumour probability: 8/10

Chelsea have already made the move for Barella, according to The Sun. A fee of around £40m is reportedly the amount that the Blues are willing to spend on the 21-year-old Italian this winter, and Cagliari would be simply foolish to reject such an amount - even if he is their best player.

This move would also allow Cesc Fabregas to leave the club and join AC Milan.

#1 Elseid Hysaj (Napoli)

Elseid Hysaj is a 24-year-old full-back who's been on Chelsea's radar for a while. But now that Maurizio Sarri, the former manager of Hysaj at Napoli, has joined the club, the possibility of Hysaj now making the switch to London has increased significantly.

He was raised through Empoli's youth academy until he was sold to Napoli in the summer of 2015 for just £4.5m. Hysaj is now worth around £22.5m, according to Transfermarkt.

Elseid Hysaj also plays for the Albanian national team, having made 42 appearances for them since debuting in February 2013 - when he was 19 years old.

Rumour probability: 9/10

Chelsea and Hysaj have been closely linked for such a long time now that a deal in January seems inevitable. Maurizio Sarri will have great leverage over the deal, thanks to his knowledge of the player and the club, so could push it over the line by the end of next month.

The Daily Star reported that Sarri has been given the green light to pay around £50m for Hysaj next month, which will be very hard for Napoli to resist.