Chelsea Transfer News: Jose Mourinho Rules Out January Arrivals

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said he doesn't plan on making any signings during the January transfer window. The straightforward boss said the only way that would change is if something major happens that forces the club to change its current stance.

The Blues passed along the comments made ahead of the team's clash with Crystal Palace:

One area it was believed Chelsea may try to upgrade during the winter window was striker. Fernando Torres, Demba Ba and Samuel Eto'o have all failed to provide the consistent production atop the formation title-contending clubs seek.

Yet, Mourinho clearly doesn't think the need is pressing enough to make a big January splash. Of course, finding an available striker in the middle of the season that's markedly better than that trio would be a tough task—and very costly, if one was on the transfer market.

Furthermore, it appears the Blues may actually be looking to decrease their depth up front before the second half of the campaign. Luca Momblano of Goal.com reports Ba has been offered to Roma while Arsenal also have interest.

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Representatives of the Senegal international have been in touch with the Serie A club, who made an enquiry for the 28-year-old in the summer.

The Blues want £12.6 million for Ba, just less than double what they paid for him almost a year ago, but Roma are unlikely to be interested at that price.

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The question is whether Chelsea can still capture the Premier League title if they stand pat. They head into the weekend five points behind Arsenal for the lead. Manchester City, Liverpool, Everton and Tottenham are also in the mix with Manchester United lurking a bit behind.

Thanks to their strength in the midfield, the Blues have been able to overcome the lack of striker production so far. And while it's possible they could do it for the entire campaign, a more reliable player leading the attack would seemingly make the task much easier.

With that said, it doesn't sound like Mourinho is overly concerned about it and is planning to stay the course, barring some type of unforeseen development that forces his hand.