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Chelsea are under severe pressure following their 3-1 defeat to Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.
Manager Frank Lampard - who presently holds the worst points-per-game ratio as Chelsea boss since Roman Abramovich took control of the club in 2003 - is on the brink and needs to turn things around quickly.
The squad contains envious depth, but with results not going the Blues' way and a few players frozen out of the first-team fold, one could expect significant activity in West London this January transfer window.
Without further delay then, we look at the top stories surrounding Chelsea on January 4.
Also read: Gary Neville slams three Chelsea players for poor showing against Manchester City
Juventus express interest in Chelsea's Giroud
Despite not being in the reckoning earlier in the season, Olivier Giroud has been one of Chelsea's best performers.
He has been in the headlines many a time for his performances on the pitch, while his future off the field has also been the subject of intense speculation.
DAZN (via Goal) have reported that Juventus boss Andrea Pirlo wants to sign the Frenchman. Giroud's contract at Chelsea expires at the end of the current season, and Pirlo feels he'd be a handy addition to the Italian giants.
The former midfielder said:
"He'd be handy! The window opens tomorrow, we already discussed with the club what we want to do and if there are any opportunities. Maybe a striker that can rotate with our strikers."
Marcos Alonso edges closer to Atletico Madrid move
As per reports from Football London, Marcos Alonso's transfer to Atletico Madrid seems imminent.
The left-back has hardly featured for the Blues this season and isn't in Lampard's plans for the future.
Alonso has only managed to play 225 minutes in the Premier League and was not even on the nine-man bench against Manchester City at the weekend.
It has been reported that Atletico Madrid value Alonso for his versatility, while Chelsea would prefer to trim their wage bill and offload the Spaniard. Marca reported that he is close to an agreement with the champions-elect of La Liga.
Napoli want Chelsea's Emerson on loan
A story from Corriere dello Sport suggests that Napoli are monitoring Emerson's situation at Chelsea.
The Italian side want to bring him on loan as they look for options to bolster their defensive line.
As for Emerson, he is clearly behind summer acquisition Ben Chilwell in the pecking order. Although he has received the nod over Marcos Alonso, the Italy international will hope to find much-needed game time elsewhere.
Emerson joined Chelsea in 2018 but has only managed to notch up 32 Premier League appearances in that period.
