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Chelsea's quest for the Premier League title has all but ended after their 1-0 defeat to Manchester City on Saturday. The Blues are currently one point ahead of third-placed Liverpool, who have two games in hand. However, they now trail league leaders City by 13 points with 16 games left.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have initiated contact with a Barcelona defender. Elsewhere, the Blues are interested in an Inter Milan star.
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on 16th January 2022.
Chelsea initiate contact with Ronald Araujo
Chelsea have initiated contact with Ronald Araujo, according to Sport Witness via Sport. The Uruguayan has been quite impressive for Barcelona this season. The Blues are looking to bolster their backline this year, and have turned their attention to the 22-year-old.
Araujo has become a regular in Xavi's team this season. His performances have attracted attention from quite a few top clubs around Europe, including Chelsea. The Blues are sweating on the futures of Antonio Rudiger, Cesar Azpilicueta and Andreas Christensen. All three are in the final year of their respective contracts, and the London side could lose them on free transfers this summer.
With negotiations failing to reach a breakthrough, manager Thomas Tuchel has been forced to turn to the market. Araujo has emerged as an option, and Chelsea are also enticed by his contract situation.
The Uruguayan is currently on the same contract he had during his time with the Barcelona B team, which expires next year. The Blaugrana want to extend his stay, but their proposal is not at par with their first-team players of Araujo's age group.
The Barcelona man desires pay parity, which has opened up an opportunity for potential suitors. The Blues have knocked on his door to enquire about a possible move. Unless the 22-year-old pens a new deal, he could be sold by Barcelona at the end of the season.
Blues interested in Ivan Perisic
Chelsea have identified Ivan Perisic as a possible replacement for Ben Chilwell, according to The Metro via The Mirror. The Blues are looking for instant solutions to their full-back problems, and have zeroed in on the Croatian. Thomas Tuchel wants a new wing-back to take the place of Chilwell in his team.
The German is not convinced by Marcos Alonso, while bringing back Emerson Palmieri from his loan spell is not economically feasible. Perisic's current deal with Inter Milan expires this summer, and he could be available for a cut-price deal.
Alan Shearer says Romelu Lukaku must combine better with his Chelsea teammates
Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer believes Romelu Lukaku must improve his understanding with his Chelsea teammates. The Belgian cut a sorry figure as the Blues succumbed to a 1-0 league defeat against defending champions Manchester City on Saturday.
Speaking on Match of the Day, Shearer said that Chelsea were wasteful against City.
“For that relationship to work, there needs to be a better understanding between him (Lukaku) and his teammates, so they know how to get the best work for the team. That certainly didn’t feel like that today. They got into so many good spaces, and were wasteful. Not all of it was his fault; some of it was his teammates," said Shearer.
