Chelsea Transfer News: Andrea Belotti Deal Reportedly Pursued, Latest Rumours

Chelsea are reportedly closing in on a January swoop for Torino striker Andrea Belotti after it emerged Blues technical director Michael Emenalo is in Italy to secure a deadline-day move for the player. 

Bleacher Report's Adam Digby cited Sky Italia on Tuesday for reporting that the Chelsea executive had flown out to secure the forward's services hours before the winter transfer window was scheduled to close:

Belotti has scored 14 goals in Serie A this season and has bagged nine of those strikes in his last 12 appearances for Torino, earning the attention of Europe's giants in the process.

It would seem Chelsea hold serious interest in one of Italy's latest emerging superstars, whereas Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger recently ruled his side out of the race, per James Olley of the London Evening Standard:

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte left the Italy helm for Stamford Bridge months before his successor, Gian Piero Ventura, handed the forward his international debut, and Belotti has since netted three goals in five games for the Azzurri.

GianlucaDiMarzio.com's David Amoyal recently picked the 23-year-old as one of Serie A's brightest prospects, even going so far as to suggest he could challenge for the FIFA World Cup in 2022:

Belotti is most likely being pursued as an eventual replacement for incumbent Chelsea frontman Diego Costa, who is set to move to China in the summer transfer window, according to the Telegraph's Matt Law. 

Speculation regarding Costa's future in west London reached fever pitch this month after a Chinese club, thought to be Tianjin Quanjian, per Law's report, offered the Spain international a £30 million-per-year contract.

Chelsea may well have the funds to pursue a Belotti capture, too, after they sold midfielder Oscar to Chinese Super League outfit Shanghai SIPG for a fee in the region of £60 million, per Sky Sports' Claire Bloomfield.

ESPN FC writer Michael Yokhin teased a potentially big year for Belotti, who has been nicknamed "Gallo" (or "Rooster") due to his signature goal celebration mimicking a rooster's comb:

Chelsea may struggle to convince Torino to part with their star figure midway through the 2016-17 campaign, however, and Emenalo is in a race against the clock to thrash out terms if he is indeed in Italy.

The Turin-based talent may even fancy his chances of winning a starting spot in Chelsea's lineup, after Costa was demoted from the starting XI earlier in January.