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Sam Hill

Four players Chelsea could sign after World Cup as Todd Boehly sets key January transfer mission

Chelsea look set for another busy transfer window after spending more than any other Premier League club in the summer.

Todd Boehly endured a hectic first summer transfer window as he secured deals for the likes of Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly, Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Denis Zakaria. There was also a focus on signing talented youngsters with the arrivals of Carney Chukwuemeka, Cesare Casadei, Omari Hutchinson and Gabriel Slonina, with the latter returning to Chicago Fire on loan until January.

The Blues struggled to perform in the first half of the season and head into the World Cup break in eighth position in the Premier League table, along with being knocked out of the Carabao Cup, a competition in which they finished as runners-up in last term. Graham Potter will be hoping to sign players that fit in with his style of play in January as Boehly prepares to splash the cash once again.

READ MORE: Chelsea star Ruben Loftus-Cheek may face anxious World Cup wait amid England injury issue

The winter window is always a difficult one for clubs to find new players at a reasonable price, with many teams reluctant to let go of their star players mid-season. If a deal is possible, it's likely the selling team could charge a premium to allow them to leave. Chelsea could be looking to bring in as many as four new players during the January transfer window.

With pressure already mounting on Potter at Stamford Bridge, the Blues boss will be hoping a few new signings can help turn his side's form around as they aim to secure a top-four spot come the end of the season. With that in mind, football.london takes a look at four possible players Boehly could look to add to Potter's squad.

Mykhaylo Mudryk - Shakhtar Donetsk

The Blues are in desperate need of attacking reinforcements, and Shakhtar Donetsk's talent Mykhaylo Mudryk could be the best option available in January. The Ukrainian outfit have accepted the likelihood that Mudryk will leave the club in the new year but will demand a huge fee of £88million for his services.

The 21-year-old has previously been compared to Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior and has impressed with his performances domestically and in Europe, scoring eight goals and providing a further eight assists in 16 appearances. The Blues could face competition from Arsenal, a team which Mudryk has spoken about openly in the media, but with the appeal of Champions League football this season, it could see the Blues pip the Gunners to the talented winger's signing.

Edson Alvarez - Ajax

Midfield is another area of concern for Chelsea, given the injury records of N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic, along with Jorginho and Kante's contracts running down, with both set to expire at the end of the season. Alvarez was close to moving to Stamford Bridge in the summer transfer window, but a £42million move fell through after Ajax refused to sell, having already let go of the likes of Antony, Ryan Gravenberch and Noussair Mazraoui, and too late in the transfer window to replace.

The Blues could look to reignite their interest in the Mexican midfielder after the World Cup, in which Alvarez will feature, giving Chelsea scouts a closer look at the 25-year-old.

Frenkie de Jong - Barcelona

Chelsea pursued a deal for Frenkie de Jong in the summer, but the Dutch midfielder refused to leave due to an ongoing dispute over his wages with the Catalan club. De Jong has started just 11 times so far this season for Barca, and with Joan Laporta admitting the LaLiga leaders cannot sign any new players in January due to Financial Fair Play rulings, it could see them look to cash in on the 25-year-old once again.

The main issue blocking any transfer for De Jong would be the player's desire to stay at Camp Nou or if he has now accepted that a move away from Barcelona would be better for his career.

Denzel Dumfries - Inter

Dumfries has impressed for Inter so far this season and was previously linked with a move to Stamford Bridge over the summer. Following injuries to both Reece James and Ben Chilwell, Potter could do with another wide defender in his squad to allow more flexibility in terms of tactics and formation.

James is continuing his recovery from a knee injury sustained against AC Milan and may not be fully fit for the return to Premier League action on Boxing Day. This could lead to Potter wanting a new defensive signing, and Dumfries would fit the bill being able to play across the backline and having similar traits and output to the England international.

Inter have slashed Dumfries' asking price to a cheaper figure of just £26.2million, according to Calciomercatoweb, which would easily be affordable for the Blues.

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