Chelsea Transfer News: Andrej Kramaric Deal Close, Sergio Busquets Rumours Grow

Just how much business Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho engages in during the January transfer window is as unpredictable as what’s going to come out of his mouth next, but rumours surrounding Andrej Kramaric and Sergio Busquets continue to pile up.

The Blues are sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League and are still on for landing an unprecedented four major trophies this season, so you’d be forgiven for thinking the Portuguese boss doesn’t need to add to his side.

However, it appears a new striker could soon be touching down at Stamford Bridge, as Gianluca Di Marzio’s David Amoyal reports a deal with Rijeka for frontman Kramaric has been reached:

The 23-year-old striker has been the star of the Croatian top flight so far this season, netting 21 times in just 18 appearances, according to WhoScored.com.

As those figures suggest, Kramaric is as lethal as they come in front of goal, as he’s blessed with sublime finishing ability together with pace, power and skill.

He certainly fits the mould of the player who’s going to go on and become a big star, which is why the Blues are prepared to part with between €7 million and €8 million for his signature next week as the final parts of the deal get ironed out, per Amoyal’s Gianluca Di Marzio report: "Mourinho's club already has an agreement with the player and today they will present their official offer to Rijeka. Should it satisfy the player's father and club the deal will be completed, and Kramaric will travel to England on January 5th for the medical."

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While Kramaric is undoubtedly a talented striker, the chances of him breaking into the Chelsea first team in the near future are pretty slim, particularly with Diego Costa proving his worth week in, week out.

With that in mind, Amoyal writes that the Croatian will be sent on loan to either Leicester City or Dutch side Vitesse, where he’ll complete his first season on Chelsea’s books.

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Chances are few and far between for youngsters at Stamford Bridge, and while Kramaric is incredibly prolific, making the step up to the Premier League will determine just how good a signing he is.

The Blues’ next target has nothing to prove at the highest level, though.

Barcelona star Busquets has been producing the goods on the biggest stage of them all for some time now, but his appearance on the Chelsea transfer rumour mill is still a big surprise, per Jamie Sanderson of Metro.

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Sanderson writes that the Spaniard has become somewhat of a contract rebel at the Camp Nou of late, having stalled on a new deal with a reported lack of faith in manager Luis Enrique.

Busquets is one of the best holding midfielders in the business and also one of most frustrating players to watch from an opposition fan’s point of view.

So, quite why Enrique has been playing him out of position in a more advanced role would make even football’s brightest scratch their heads.

The manager argued that he gives his side a bit more control at the business end of the pitch, via Barcastuff, but it’s clearly not where he wants to be playing his football:

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Luis Enrique: "Busquets as attacking midfielder? We wanted more control. I think in general we played a good game." #fcblive

— barcastuff (@barcastuff) November 30, 2014"

That much has left the Spaniard unhappy with life at the Camp Nou, alerting Chelsea of the possibility of bringing him to the Premier League.

The Blues have arguably the best central midfield duo in the league in Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas, but there’d still be a role for Busquets to play should he make a shock January switch.

The back end of the season is all about squad rotation, and as the 26-year-old would be cup tied for Champions League matches, it would give Mourinho the chance to rest one of his key duo in a Premier League fixture ahead of a big, midweek clash.

The thought is great, but with Busquets tied down to Barcelona until summer 2018, it would take a huge bid to get him in blue even with the reported lack of happiness.

The transfer could depend on whether John Obi Mikel leaves the club in January, and while he’s not everyone’s cup of tea, Mourinho seems to be happy putting his faith in the Nigerian.

Should the contract stalling continue to the summer, Chelsea will have a better chance of landing Busquets, but until then, Mourinho has no reason to change a winning formula.