Chelsea Transfer News: Douglas Costa Reveals 'Dream' Offer, Juan Cuadrado Latest

Douglas Costa has revealed that Chelsea have indeed made an offer to Shakthar Donetsk to sign him, with the forward suggesting he is eager to make the switch.

Simon Jones recently reported in the Daily Mail that the Blues were launching a £16 million bid for Costa as they look to replace potential departing pair Andre Schurrle and Mohamed Salah.

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The 24-year-old Brazilian has now confirmed the bid and is clearly eager to make the move from Ukraine to Stamford Bridge, per Jamie Sanderson of the Metro:

"It would be a dream to play for Chelsea. It’s a unique chance. I will try to negotiate."

Costa formed an effective partnership with current Blues midfielder Willian at Shakhtar before the 26-year-old moved to Chelsea in 2013.

He would certainly bring added pace and sharpness to the west London outfit, but B/R UK's Sam Tighe questions whether he has the ability to make the step up in quality required for the Premier League:

The Blues may struggle to land Costa this month, however, with Sanderson suggesting Shakhtar are unwilling to let him go in the current window.

Chelsea are also struggling in their bid to sign Fiorentina's Juan Cuadrado, a long-rumoured target for Jose Mourinho, per Sky Sports.

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GianlucadiMarzio.com reports that, while there have been talks about a potential deal with Cuadrado's agent Alessandro Lucci meeting with the Blues, Chelsea are not prepared to meet the Colombian's buyout clause of €35 million (£26 million).

The report indicated that Chelsea could budge if they move Schurrle on for €30 million (£22.5 million)—with his likely destination being Wolfsburg per Sky Sports—but Cuadrado's switch is far from certain.

Although Cuadrado impressed greatly at the World Cup and shows flashes of brilliance in Serie A, he is arguably a risky target for Chelsea, with WhoScored.com reporting his lack of clinical finishing and StatsBomb's Ted Knutson offering a fairly damning appraisal of his talents:

Neither Costa nor Cuadrado are necessarily guaranteed to succeed at Stamford Bridge and it is arguable whether either would be an improvement on Schurrle.

With a week still left in the January transfer window Chelsea still have time to secure one of their forward targets, but it remains to be seen whether either is up to the standard required for the Premier League's best side.