Chelsea Transfer News: Latest Talk on Lionel Messi, Andre Schurrle and More

Chelsea are off to a strong start in both the Premier League, where they are unbeaten through six matches, and the Champions League. But no matter how well a club is playing, there's always interest in potential transfers—especially when one link involves superstar Lionel Messi.

The transfer window is currently closed, of course, so all of the ongoing talk concerns potential moves in January or next summer.

While the speculation still generates plenty of buzz, it's probably more of a distraction than anything else for Jose Mourinho and Co.

Most of the rumors come and go without any further action, but it's something for supporters to discuss in between matches, if nothing else. Let's check out some of the latest talk involving the Blues and examine the outlook for each story.

Lionel Messi

Although it would be a shock if Messi ever left Barcelona for another club, every once in awhile there are murmurs about exactly that. The world-class forward slipped slightly off top form last season, but that still resulted in 41 goals across all competitions.

Francisco Acedo of Sky Sports reports Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City and Chelsea are the clubs with the best combination of financial resources and interest, should the door ever be left open for a blockbuster transfer.

He notes Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu downplayed the idea, though.

"The window is now closed and nobody is talking about new signings anymore. The possibility of Messi moving keeps coming up, but we haven't considered it," he said. "He's very happy here and we'll have Messi for many years. I hope he'll retire at our club."

Ultimately, the only plausible scenario of a Messi move would be if Barcelona sees a big enough drop-off to consider cashing in before he loses most of his massive value.

At 27, however, it doesn't seem like the Argentine international will reach that point anytime soon.

Chelsea would obviously have to consider a transfer if one did come available. With that said, the arrival of Diego Costa has provided some goalscoring consistency after recent struggles up front over the past few terms.

As such, it doesn't really seem like there's much to the latest reports.

Andre Schurrle

Schurrle has struggled to secure a regular role since joining Chelsea from Bayer Leverkusen. To his credit, he's filled whatever void Mourinho has asked him to, but it's prevented the winger from building off the flashes of potential he's displayed.

Despite that, he remains committed to Stamford Bridge.

Darren Lewis of the Daily Mirror passed along comments from the 23-year-old German international, who has confidence the veteran boss is going to put him in a position to succeed.

"Mourinho has given me this feeling that I would be a big part of the team. He plans with me and he wants me in this team and he wants to play me," Schurrle said. "That's why I want to stay at this club. Everything here is good for me. I have the pressure to perform, I have the pressure to do well in training."

Schurrle could be a full-time starter for many clubs around Europe. Since that's not the case with the Blues, seeking an exit to a place where his role is more defined wouldn't reflect negatively on him.

However, to the disappointment of any interested clubs, he seems prepared to fight for his spot.

He should earn it eventually. His playmaking ability, whether working on the wing or from a more centralized role, is evident every time he steps on the pitch. It just comes down to fully seizing those opportunities when they do arrive.

Sami Khedira

Khedira has been one of the most talked-about players on the transfer market in recent months. He's been linked to just about every high-profile Premier League club, but the transfer deadline came and went without him leaving Real Madrid.

The defensive midfielder, who's currently sidelined by injury, remains on the radar of several clubs, though.

Goal (h/t Alex Harris of the Daily Express) reports Manchester United are preparing to swoop in to edge Arsenal and Chelsea in the race for his signature:

Also included in the report was analysis from Spanish football expert Guillem Balague about why the Gunners or Blues didn't land him during the summer.

"Real Madrid have told Khedira, 'You sign a new contract or go,'" he said. "There are different reasons why he didn't leave [this summer]. Xabi Alonso left [for Bayern Munich] and his wage demands were too high for Arsenal and Chelsea."

If the interest is genuine, Chelsea should tread carefully. Khedira has struggled to stay healthy and the club isn't in dire need of a defensive midfielder.

The German star would be a nice addition if in top form, but the Blues should wait for him to showcase that before making any type of serious investment.