Chelsea Transfer Rumours: 5 Possible January Targets for Andre Villas-Boas

It's been a rough weekend for Andre Villas-Boas and his crew. A 5-3 loss to Arsenal, Chelsea's second consecutive league defeat, and allegations of racism (which AVB and the team vehemently deny) against captain John Terry aren't exactly helping club morale right now. 

But Chelsea are still very much top-three contenders and have proved so throughout this season. Perhaps some well-chosen transfer targets could help them reinforce the ranks a bit in light of some recent troubles on the pitch.

Here are five possible transfer targets who could steer Chelsea and AVB back to the path toward Premiership glory. If you have thoughts on any of these potential targets (as always, these are rumors and should be taken with a grain of salt) or any other players you'd like to see at the Stamford Bridge, have at it in the comments. 

Hulk, Porto

If Salomon Kalou and Didier Drogba leave Stamford Bridge as some reports are indicating, Chelsea may need a striker. And among the potential candidates to join Chelsea is Porto striker Givanildo Vieira de Souza, better known as Hulk. The Marvel-ous master of the Portuguese side's attack helped his side net a domestic double and a Europa League title, and he's been a contender this season as well. 

Arsenal and Inter Milan are among the clubs who reportedly are joining Chelsea in pursuit of the striker, although any club interested in him will have to cough up a jaw-dropping buyout clause of roughly €100 million.

Hulk contends he's staying focused on Porto, but he has admitted he could be swayed by a move to one of the "Big Four" European leagues. As he told Radio Bandeirantes:

""If a deal is to happen, it will surely be something good for me and for Porto. I leave those matters to my agent and I look to do my job on the field."

"The Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga and Serie A are where people really want to play, where the stadiums are always full."

"If I had to leave for one of those leagues, I would leave happily.""

Kevin De Bruyne

The Racing Genk phenom helped bring the Jupiler League club the title for the first time in a decade and helped them reached the Champions League. 

De Bruyne was a bright spot for Genk, showing creativity and tenacity as Genk fell to Chelsea in a 5-0 Champions League routing earlier this month. He has expressed interest in a move to Chelsea before and the sentiments are certainly mutual, as the Blues prepared an ultimately unsuccessful £6 million bid in August to bring the 20-year-old midfielder to Stamford Bridge and could possibly try again in January. 

As De Bruyne told Sky Sports:

"

"I always try to get to a better level. If it’s not good enough for Chelsea then maybe for a team a little lower who are maybe better than Genk. That’s what I’m trying to do. I’m still young, I have maybe 12-15 years left for my career so I have a lot of time to improve myself."

"

Sebastian Giovinco

He's been called the new Del Piero and given the nickname Atomic Ant, after the Hanna-Barbera character, for his dynamic performances on the pitch, super strength and generally small stature. Now, the ant could be joining the swarm at Stamford Bridge if Andre Villas-Boas has his way. 

The 24-year-old, at Parma on loan from Juventus, has impressed with his cracking dribbling skills and technical abilities. Although an attacking midfielder may not be the highest item on the priority list for the Blues, but with the only real playmaker option being Juan Mata, it might be ideal to have a backup. 

Past performances from Giovinco have earned favor from another small-but-mighty Chelsea great, Gianfranco Zola, who expressed interest in signing the then-21-year-old attacker when he was manager at West Ham United. 

Edinson Cavani

One of the driving forces behind Napoli's meteoric rise within the ranks of Serie A, 24-year-old striker Edinson Cavani has emerged as one of the top young talents in world football.

His fearsome presence on the field has earned him the nickname "El Matador," and he's got the deadly strike to match: he scored 39 goals in all appearances for Napoli last season and has been a force on the international circuit, helping Uruguay net wins in the Copa América this year and a fourth place finish in the 2010 World Cup.

Should Didier Drogba depart at the end of the season as expected, Cavani may have the chops and experience to be a suitable replacement. He would fit in along the new, younger additions to Chelsea's attack like the impressive Juan Mata and Daniel Sturridge. As such, the Blues can be expected to line up a bid, as Andre Villas-Boas sent scout Mick Doherty to watch Cavani at several matches so far this season. 

Eden Hazard

It seems like every top-flight team is after Lille's young playmaker, with Arsenal, Liverpool, Real Madrid and recently Paris Saint-Germain reportedly also in contention to bring him to their ground. Chelsea may already have a key attacking playmaker in Juan Mata, but it never hurts to have another option in the rotation (and is in keeping with AVB's philosophy about having players share the burden) the Blues did reportedly emerge recently as the frontrunners to acquire the £40 million-rated 20-year-old. 

Lille's Michel Seydoux reportedly told RMC Sports that the top-flight clubs should be warned Lille's top-notch young talent is not for sale... yet:

"If we do ever agree to sell him it will have to be in a deal that pleases both sides. We will not be negotiating in the winter but if someone wants to queue up for him in the summer they should be prepared with a lot of money. There is no set price."

However, in that same piece from CrunchSports (make of it what you will), Lille coach Rudi Garcia reportedly admitted the club is already preparing to make adjustments for an expected Hazard departure, so let the bidding war begin.