Chelsea could be ready to make changes to their defense next January, with Fabrizio Romano naming Marc Guehi and Tomás Araujo as players to be appreciated within Stamford Bridge.
Speaking exclusively to Caught out For a video update in the daily briefing, Romano explained that Chelsea have had internal discussions about their defensive options for next January.
Crystal Palace defender Guehi is one of the names the Blues value, while Benfica's Araujo has also been on their radar since the summer, according to Romano.
Chelsea's €65m transfer target is expected to move on soon
However, both deals look complicated, and another option for Chelsea could be to recall Trevo Chalupa from his loan at Crystal Palace, as they have a clause that enables them to terminate this deal early.
Marc Guehi or Thomas Araujo to Chelsea?
Guehi has impressed in the Premier League, so he seems ideal for CFC, but Araujo is another big talent who could have a bright future at the highest level in a more competitive league.
However, Chelsea will still need to decide how much they can spend this winter.
“Chelsea are considering their options on A New signing at centre-back “In January of this year – there is a concrete possibility for them to sign a new player in defense due to injuries,” Romano said.
“Chelsea have Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana, so the Blues are exploring the market… they could look for a different centre-back, a player for the present and the future.
“The player they like at Chelsea is Mark Guehi – This could be a possibility, and has been discussed and considered internally by Chelsea.
“However, from what I have been told, it is still not easy to get the deal done as it could be expensive, and Chelsea still have to decide internally how much they want to spend to cover this position.
“Certainly, though, Guehi is appreciated, and he has 18 months left on his contract at Crystal Palace, so let's see what Chelsea decide to do.
“Tomas Araujo at Benfica is another player they value at Chelsea – they really wanted him last summer.
“But at the moment, Benfica still does not open the door to a general exit. Let's see if the situation changes, but at the moment I have no news about Araujo.
