Chelsea Transfer News: Latest on January Deals Targeted by Jose Mourinho

An outstanding start to the 2014-15 season has been crafted largely by a highly successful summer of spending at Stamford Bridge, and Chelsea will look to maintain that progress with more business this winter.

Latest speculation dictates that the Blues will look to strengthen across the board rather than focus on one specific area, with targets in Spain, Italy and France being lined up ahead of the January window

Read on for a breakdown of the most recent rumours and gossip relating to the west London outfit's search for mid-season reinforcements.

Gerard Pique

Cesc Fabregas has been a major success since moving to Chelsea from fellow European giants Barcelona over the summer, and according to Ben Jefferson of the Express, Gerard Pique is another Catalan product drawing Jose Mourinho's eye.

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Manchester United have been linked with a move to sign their former defender, but Jefferson writes that Chelsea have a £20 million offer of their own in mind as they look to raid Camp Nou once more this winter.

Spanish agent Francois Gallardo is quoted in the report as saying that Pique is interested in an exit after falling down the Barca pecking order: "The player is angry and Barca are open to his departure. He could end up at Manchester United or Chelsea."

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Javier Mascherano, Jeremy Mathieu, Marc Bartra and Thomas Vermaelen all stand as possible centre-back alternatives in Luis Enrique's back line, while Chelsea are still seeking a replacement for David Luiz.

With John Terry's one-year extension at Stamford Bridge poised to cause more defensive comment at Chelsea next year, Mourinho could see Pique as a long-term successor to his English stalwart.

Juan Cuadrado

A wave of summer speculation in Florence suggested Juan Cuadrado could have left Fiorentina months ago, but the Colombian remained with the Serie A outfit and has now signed a new deal to extend his stay.

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David Wright of the Express reported on Friday that Cuadrado was just "details away" from penning an extension with the Viola, while Spanish newspaper Sport says it's a done deal.

The agreement means Cuadrado's loyalties are now tied with the Viola until 2019, the deal complete with a €35 million (£27 million) release clause.

Fiorentina director Vincenzo Guerini was quoted in Wright's report as saying:

"

Cuadrado’s attitude has been exemplary during this process. There are [just a few] details [on the new deal]. Both the club and player have expressed a willingness to continue together.

It’s only fair that he wants to win things. Until two years ago, nobody wanted to join Fiorentina, now the situation has reversed. The club know what to do.

"

Chelsea would assuredly offer Cuadrado a more probable chance at silverware, given the state of their current campaign and consistent progress in major competitions.

However, competing with the likes of Eden Hazard, Willian, Andre Schurrle and Oscar may not be seen by the South American as ideal for playing time, giving reason as to why he's chosen to remain a prominent figure in Italy.

Gianelli Imbula

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An anchoring midfielder is thought to figure highly on Mourinho's list of requirements this winter, and should his top options head elsewhere, the Portuguese is understood to be keeping tabs on Marseille's Gianelli Imbula.

Mourinho has been linked with Real Madrid's Sami Khedira and Juventus' Paul Pogba, but Ben Jefferson of the Express reports that after the latter penned a new deal in Turin, interest in Imbula has risen.

The 22-year-old has enjoyed a stellar start to the Ligue 1 season, and Martin Laurence of WhoScored.com has broken down his progress thus far, along with an assessment of what lies ahead for Marseille's up-and-comer:

With Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas arguably the most proficient central-midfield partnership in the Premier League this season, Imbula would be but another option in Mourinho's engine room.

However, Jefferson adds that Marseille may ask for a fee of around £25 million for the youngster, making Imbula by no means the cheapest target, especially with Khedira's contract set to expire this summer.