"The player would love to join" - Fabrizio Romano says Chelsea are 'for sure' still interested in signing talented midfielder in January

Chelsea are still interested in snapping up Dynamo Moscow star Arsen Zakharyan, as per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Zakharyan, 19, has emerged as one of the top midfield talents in Europe since his breakthrough performances last campaign. Since making his professional debut for Dynamo in November 2020, he has nailed down a starting spot as his boyhood club's creative outlet.

A versatile midfielder adept at operating on either flank, Zakharyan was subject to a £12.6 million bid from the Blues earlier this summer. However, the potential deal for the promising teenager collapsed due to various FIFA and UEFA restrictions on signing Russian players.

In his column for Caught Offside, Romano claimed that Chelsea are still keen to rope in Zakharyan in the future. He wrote:

"Chelsea are still interested in signing Zakharyan, for sure. He's one of the talents they are following, but they are working on many deals right now so the timing can't always be fast. That's absolutely normal. The player would also love to join the club."

Earlier in November, Zakharyan was asked about his feelings on being linked with the west London outfit. He replied to Sport 24:

"I immediately said that I wanted to go. I do not dismiss the option of returning on loan but at least I would try myself there. Maybe it would be possible to start playing there right away. I hope that negotiations will continue in the winter and they will lead somewhere."

Zakharyan, who has a contract until June 2024, has registered 15 goals and 20 assists in 69 matches for Dynamo Moscow.

Meanwhile, Chelsea have finalized three permanent deals in the winter window so far. The Graham Potter-coached outfit have added Benoit Badiashile from Monaco, David Datro Fofana from Molde and Andrey Santos from Vasco da Gama for a combined fee of £57 million.

Fabrizio Romano says Chelsea are exploring January deal for Bundesliga forward

According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are interested in acquiring the services of Borussia Monchengladbach forward Marcus Thuram in the ongoing winter transfer window. The Blues have opened talks with the Bundesliga outfit to explore a deal in January itself.

Thuram, 25, has been a crucial first-team starter for Die Fohlen since arriving from Guingamp for a fee of £10 million in the summer of 2019. Operating primarily as a center-forward or as a left inside-forward, he has registered 41 goals and 26 assists in 119 matches for his club.

With his contract set to expire this summer, the France international has popped up on the radar of Manchester United, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Tottenham Hotspur.