Chelsea Transfer News: Latest on Anderson Talisca, Fernando Torres and More

Chelsea are looking to follow up a busy summer of business by flexing their wallet once again this winter, with bids for Brazilian starlet Anderson Talisca and Roma general Kevin Strootman rumoured.

Fernando Torres' failure to impress at Milan has also led some to believe the on-loan striker could make his return to England, but it wouldn't necessarily be as a Chelsea player.

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Talisca has quickly risen to Benfica fame after taking the Liga Primeira by storm this season, and it's suggested that a host of European giants are keeping watch over the 20-year-old.

The Daily Star's Colin Harvey described the attacking dynamo as Jose Mourinho's "No. 1 target" this winter, with talk of a £35 million move mentioned, the value of his release clause.

According to Portuguese newspaper O Jogo (h/t 101GreatGoals), the Blues have sent scouts to watch Talisca in action:

Speaking to Portuguese broadcaster TVI24 (h/t Daily Mail's Sean Gallagher) back in September, Mourinho suggested he would have been signed by an English club from Bahia in the summer, were it not for work permit issues:

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I think Benfica hired well. They say Talisca is unknown, but he is only so unknown because he's only not playing in England because he doesn't have a work permit. If he had one, he would be here! There were many English teams, great teams and important, that wanted him. Moreover, there were those who wanted to sign him, even though he could not play for now.

They wanted to sign him, put him in a minor league [on loan] and hope that eventually he came to be selected [for Brazil's national team], and would consequently then get the work permit.

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Given his progress in Portugal, it may not be long until that dream of representing the Selecao becomes a reality, which would in turn help resolve work permit complications and leave Chelsea free to make their attempt.

Torres' future is just as uncertain at present. Speaking prior to Chelsea's Premier League fixture against Hull City this weekend, Mourinho moved swiftly to dash away rumours that his on-loan forward could return in January, per ESPN's Miguel Delaney:

However, it's been alleged that former club Liverpool may be interested in attempting to reinvigorate their forward line with a move for the Spanish international.

Bruce Archer of the Daily Star wrote that if Milan were to cancel his deal early, Brendan Rodgers would look into the prospect of re-signing the striker in order to give injured Daniel Sturridge more cover.

There's no doubt Torres enjoyed the best form of his career at Anfield, but he's a changed figure since then, as Delaney went on to attest:

The financial mechanics of a deal and Mourinho's reluctance to sell to a direct rival make it difficult to envision at any juncture, never mind in a midseason move, but the Blues may be so eager to offload his services that a deal is sanctioned.

Another move which would require Chelsea to pull out all the stops would be for that of Kevin Strootman's signature. David Wright of the Express said a £30 million winter bid is in the pipeline as Chelsea hope to beat Manchester United to his talent.

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Now that Roma are out of the Champions League, it's been suggested the Giallorossi may be more willing to sell, but Strootman is so valued in the capital that his loyalties are of huge importance to their season.

Despite having only just returned from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, club general manager Mauro Baldissoni is quoted by Sky Sports' Pete O'Rourke in placing a "not-for-sale" tag on his star:

It's well known that Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal is eager to link back up with his former Netherlands charge, with Alex Shaw of ESPN hinting the reunion will come to fruition in 2015:

Mourinho faces a battle to overcome the personal connection Strootman and Van Gaal already have, but Chelsea's prospects are significantly brighter that the Red Devils' at present.

That could be a major influence in any Strootman switch that does come about, but Roma appear unlikely to relinquish his talent before next summer at the earliest.