Chelsea’s 2026 January Transfer Wishlist

The Blues are no strangers to spending in January, though they have been focusing exclusively on younger players.

Chelsea have areas of weakness in their squad. / Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images, Victor Metelskiy/Getty Images, Claudio Villa/AC Milan/Getty Images, Joe Prior/Visionhaus/Getty Images

Few transfer windows pass without Chelsea dipping into the market and the temptation to spend this January might prove too great to resist.

Chelsea are not expected to be overly busy this winter having, predictably, spend big last summer, but signings can never be ruled out when it comes to the free-spending Blues.

Enzo Maresca boasts a bloated squad, yet there are areas that could use refining. Exits sanctioned during January could pave the way for incomings, especially if the club’s recent festive blip extends into the new year.

If Chelsea turn to the transfer market, here are the departments that require bolstering.

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Centre Back

Levi Colwill’s ACL injury has left Chelsea lacking quality at the back. / IMAGO/Gribaudi/ImagePhoto

Chelsea were rocked by injury news before the season even began. On the eve of the new campaign, star centre back Levi Colwill was struck down by a devastating ACL injury which ruled him out for the majority of the term. The Blues had only signed versatile youngster Jorrel Hato days earlier and decided against further reinforcement.

But that decision has come back to bite Chelsea this season. The Blues could already have done with a blockbuster central defensive signing and have been reliant on uncertain partnerships. Other than mainstay Trevoh Chalobah, the likes of Tosin Adarabioyo, Josh Acheampong, Wesley Fofana and Benoît Badiashile have all come in and out of the team due to a mixture of injury and poor form. Hato, meanwhile, has been preferred at left back.

Chelsea will be hopeful that Colwill suffers no setbacks on his road to recovery and returns before the season concludes, but Maresca could still benefit from another stellar option in the heart of defence. Fofana and Badiashile are remarkably injury prone, while Tosin has not always convinced and Acheampong continues to get to grips with senior football.

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Key Targets

Murillo has been linked with the Blues. / Clive Mason/Getty Images

There have been a number of names bandied about amid Chelsea’s hunt for defensive reinforcement, but nothing concrete heading into January. In fact, the general consensus is that the Blues will wait until the end of the season to bolster their backline.

However, should they change their viewpoint in the coming weeks, Nottingham Forest centre back Murillo could come back into view. Chelsea have been linked with the classy 23-year-old, who would offer Premier League experience, proven quality and enormous potential moving forward.

RB Leipzig youngster Castello Lukeba could add to Chelsea’s legion of French centre backs given his impressive performances for the Bundesliga outfit, while former Blues defender and current Crystal Palace captain Marc Guéhi may be available for a cut-price fee in January as his contract expires next summer.

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Goalkeeper

Robert Sánchez is regularly under fire. / Jan Kruger/Getty Images

Goalkeeper is a position Chelsea must strengthen in the coming windows. While Robert Sánchez has enjoyed periods of brilliance, inconsistent performances and sub-par distribution suggest he has reached his ceiling, while Filip Jörgensen has failed to entirely convince during his opportunities in the starting lineup.

Chelsea were actively seeking a new stopper before last summer’s FIFA Club World Cup, which suggests they too view the position as one they must strengthen. Major titles are difficult to come by without a world-class goalkeeper and the Blues certainly can’t compete with the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City in that particular department.

Again, the expectation is that any goalkeeping alterations will come next summer at the earliest, but a winter signing cannot be entirely dismissed. A long-term injury to Sánchez or Jörgensen could force a mindset change, or a surprise opening in the market.

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Key Targets

Chelsea chased Mike Maignan last summer. / IMAGO/Buzzi

AC Milan stopper Mike Maignan was the man pursued by Chelsea in the build-up to the Club World Cup. The Frenchman’s contract expires next summer, after which he will be available for zilch, but Milan’s unwillingness to lower his asking price to Chelsea’s satisfaction over the summer saw a move stall.

While it’s more likely that Chelsea will approach the 30-year-old for a free transfer next summer, or organise some sort of pre-contract agreement in January, there remains the possibility that Maignan teams up with the Blues this winter.

Elsewhere, Borussia Dortmund star Gregor Kobel has been previously linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, while Porto’s Diogo Costa has also been on their radar in past windows.

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