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Chelsea are preparing to welcome Middlesbrough to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday (January 23) in their EFL Cup semifinal second leg. Mauricio Pochettino's team are trailing 1-0 in the tie.
Meanwhile, two Premier League clubs are interested in Blues striker Armando Broja. Elsewhere, Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres has opened up on rumours linking him to the Blues.
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on January 23, 2024:
English duo eyeing Armando Broja, says Fabrizio Romano
West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers are interested in Armando Broja, according to acclaimed transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.
The Albanian forward has struggled for game time this season with Chelsea, registering two goals and one assist in 17 appearances across competitions. Only seven of them have been starts, highlighting his situation.
In his column for Caught Offside, Romano added that the 22-year-old's future could be determined this week.
“I think this is a possibility – it’s going to be a busy week for Armando Broja. He’s almost never playing, and Mauricio Pochettino recently said he needs to be regularly playing.
"It makes no sense to continue like this. There is historical interest from West Ham, and Wolves could be another possibility. There could be movement in the next days," wrote Romano.
Broja is tied to the Blues till 2028.
Viktor Gyokeres opens up on Chelsea link
Viktor Gyokeres has said that he remains focused on Sporting despite rumours linking him with a move to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea are hunting for a new No. 9 this year, and the Swede has emerged as an option. Gyokeres has been in spectacular form this campaign, registering 22 goals and 10 assists in 25 outings. Sporting manager Ruben Amorim has confirmed that the club have turned down a big offer from the Premier League giants for their prized asset.
The Blues could return for the 25-year-old, who has a €100 million release clause in his contract. Speaking to O Jogo, Gyokeres said that he's not affected by the rumours circulating in the media.
"I don't think anything about it (links to Chelsea). I'm here, and we have important games, I'm focused on that. There's a lot of talk on social media and other places, but I'm not focused on that.
"I don't think about anything else. I'm here now, and I'm 100 percent focused on this and the club," said Gyokeres
With Romelu Lukaku unlikely to return and Nicolas Jackson struggling, Pochettino could push to complete a move for Gyokeres in the summer.
Blues transfer activity praised by Fabrizio Romano
Fabrizio Romano has praised Chelsea for selling their assets at the perfect time. The Blues have invested heavily in their squad recently but have also offloaded big names when needed. The London giants cashed in on Mason Mount and Kai Havertz in big-money moves this summer, and it looks a wise decision so far.
Mount has struggled with Manchester United, while Havertz hasn't lived up to expectations at Arsenal either. In his column for Caught Offside, Romano also cited the example of Eden Hazard, whose exit in 2019 turned out to be a masterstroke.
"I think it’s been part of Chelsea’s model – they’ve done some smart business by signing many players, many young talents, sending them on loan and then selling at the right moment.
"Even, last summer, I think they did excellent job with the outgoings, bringing in good fees for players like Mason Mount and Kai Havertz – and it was absolutely needed from a technical and financial point of view," wrote Romano.
He continued:
“Another example is Eden Hazard, who was a wonderful player who they sold at exactly the right moment. This was something smart, even if it was not easy to lose a star like Hazard.”
Hazard left Stamford Bridge as one of the best players in the world to join Real Madrid but endured an underwhelming time at the Santiago Bernabeu.
