Chelsea Transfer Rumours: 5 Latest Players Linked to the Blues

Chelsea started their January off strong with a £12 million sale of Daniel Sturridge to Liverpool and then the subsequent signing of Demba Ba from Newcastle for only £7.5 million.

Now that the Blues have gotten their feet wet in the market early on with two great pieces of business on their behalf, not only have they profited from their first moves but now they have set themselves up to have another three weeks of time to make major decisions on players such as Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard.

The two veterans are likely to leave this summer, but the debate to as whether they will make an earlier exit continues to rage on. Some of their most recent targets to follow suggest that January could go either way.

Marouane Fellaini

It is no surprise that Everton all-action midfielder Marouane Fellaini continues to be linked with a move to Chelsea in January.

The talented Belgian international continues to only get better each and every week he is on the pitch for the Toffees, and the Blues have been a keenly interested party for some time.

French publication L'Equipe is claiming that Frank Lampard will leave Chelsea and that they are to sign Fellaini before the end of January.

Benat

The Daily Star has linked Real Betis midfielder, Benat with a move to Chelsea as the future replacement for Frank Lampard.

If the veteran leaves the club to one of his several potential suitors, Benat is most likely the least pricey option as a replacement at the cost of an estimated £16 million.

Chelsea are already said to have had an earlier bid rejected and will have to raise their offer to meet the release clause in the player's current contract with the La Liga side.

Taison

According to the Mail, Metalist Kharkiv Brazilian Taison has returned to the Ukraine after failing to complete his dream move to Chelsea in the January transfer window.

The Blues are believed to have failed to want to meet the £11 million asking price of the Russian club and therefore have ended any and all negotiations over the player for the time being.

Matt Targett

Reports from Goal.com have suggested that Chelsea are interested in signing 17-year-old rising Southampton star Matt Targett this month.

While Luke Shaw has caught many headlines for his recent play for the Saints, Targett is thought to be just as great of a prospect but at a much better price point for a move this month and for the long term.

Reports also indicate that both Arsenal and Liverpool could be in contention with Chelsea to chase the youngster's signature.

Luka Modric

This summer Chelsea were hopeful of signing Tottenham midfielder Luka Modric before he made his move to Real Madrid. However, the Blues failed to pull off the signing of the Croatian international.

Six months removed from their pursuit it appears that Modric could once again be available for them to chase.

Reports from Metro suggest that both Chelsea and Manchester City have been put on high alert for the player, as he is believed to be out of his league in Madrid.