Jose Mourinho is reportedly eying out-of-favour Chelsea defenders, Trevoh Chalobah and Malang Sarr, as the January transfer window approaches. But Roma, Mourinho’s club may face competition, especially for Chalobah, who has attracted interest from Bayern Munich, Tottenham, and Newcastle United. The former Chelsea manager has a history of recruiting Chelsea talents for Roma, with players like Tammy Abraham and Romelu Lukaku making the move to the Italian capital. Chalobah, 22, has experienced a mix of success and setbacks, enjoying playing time under Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter but finding fewer opportunities under Mauricio Pochettino this season due to injury.
Trevor Chalobah – Getty image On the other hand, 22-year-old Sarr, who joined Chelsea from Nice in 2020, has struggled to secure a regular spot in the first team, and was also omitted by Pochettino from the Blues 25-man Premier League squad. Despite Roma’s challenging start to the Serie A campaign, currently sitting seventh with 18 points from 12 games, Mourinho seems determined to bolster his backline squad with these potential January signings.
Willian at a match for Nottingham Forest. Source: Getty The Cottages have since returned with an improved offer which Willian is reported to still be considering but he’s held talks with Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper and has already moved fast to undergo his medical. Sources say that Willian team’s offered him to Chelsea when talks with Fulham broke down but the Blues turned down the chance as they look to go a different direction. Should he choose Nottingham Forest, Willian will sign a lucrative deal to play at the City Ground and could have the option of finishing his career in Greece with Forest’s sister club, Olympiacos. He will also become Forest’s first summer signing should a deal be reached. The 34-year-old veteran made 30 appearances for Fulham last season. He scored five goals and provided six assists during the 2022-23 season. 
Willian posing with Brazil’s flag. Source: Getty The former Chelsea and Arsenal player is a two-time Premier League winner with the Blues, as well as winning the UEFA Cup in 2009 with Shakhtar Donetsk and the Europa League 10 years later with Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea. Willian earned 70 Brazil caps between 2011 and 2019, scoring nine times, most recently during their run to winning the Copa America in the last year of the 2010s. Fulham were one of the surprise packages of the season in their first campaign back in the English top-flight, as they finished in the top half of the table. Nottingham Forest finished in 16th place, securing their status in the Premier League with a week remaining. 
The 31-year-old will become a free agent in June and has fallen further and further down the pecking order on Merseyside so far this season following the signings of both Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo. Barcelona is said to have won the race for Firmino’s signature, with the Mail reporting that the former Hoffenheim star will join Xavi’s side. Barca, who’re enduring well-documented financial troubles, are on course to win their first La Liga title since 2018 and want to strengthen their attack without breaking the bank, as Robert Lewandowski is currently their only recognised striker. 
The 31-year-old signed for £29milllion from Hoffenheim in 2015, scored 109 goals in 360 appearances during his time at Anfield. Firmino has been a staple part of Liverpool’s success winning the Champions League twice, the Premier League, the FA Cup, the League Cup, and the Club World Cup during his eight-year spell. 
32-year-old Gundogan is in the final few months of his contract at Manchester City, meaning he will be a free agent at the end of the season. Sport reported that while the club is willing to offer him a short-term extension, City has increasingly resigned to losing him for nothing at the end of the season. There’s also been no breakthrough in any negotiations behind the scenes. 
Barcelona is likely to be his next destination, a club he has always had affection for due to its culture and style of play. Xavi and Co are also keen on signing the German and strengthening their midfield, with Sergio Busquets likely to leave the club at the end of the season. Another reason Gundogan is reportedly likely to depart City is his wife Sara Arfaoui, who has grown tired of life in England. 
Goal reported that the loan transfer is yet to go through due to the Blues’ desire for him to feature at this summer’s U20 World Cup. It was gathered that Chelsea’s management believes that an outing at another FIFA showpiece will aid 18-year-old Santos’ development while also making it easier for them to obtain a work permit, which has proved impossible so far. Santos recently starred in the U20 South American Championship for Brazil, netting six goals in eight games as he captained his nation to victory in the tournament, as well as winning the Golden Boot. Following his performances for Brazil, Chelsea is keen for Santos to feature at the U20 World Cup, which is due to take place between May and June 2023. 
Palmeiras are reportedly reluctant to agree to the deal as they could end up losing Santos at a vital stage of their season that delivers important fixtures in the Brazilian Championship and the Copa Libertadores. They are now seeking assurances that they will have the final say on whether the talented teenager is released for Brazil duty or not. There are speculations that a compromise could be reached, and if such an agreement is settled upon, Santos will remain in his homeland until December. 
The Athletic reported that while the Ligue 1 side appeared to have it all wrapped up with the player agreeing to the move and having already flown to Paris to complete a medical, Chelsea failed to file the necessary paperwork before Tuesday’s transfer deadline, with a source from PSG labelling the situation a “Class A circus”. Multiple reports from France say that Chelsea sent the incorrect documents over to PSG on THREE occasions, holding up the deal. ‼️🚨 Chelsea sent the wrong documents for the Hakim Ziyech deal 3 times! PSG will appeal this tomorrow morning in view of the attitude from the English club, reports @bruno_salomon. — EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) January 31, 2023 It was gathered that the right document was sent at midnight local time (23:00 English time), far too late for a deal to go through. PSG are now set to lodge an appeal with the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), although given their ruthlessness in similar cases in the past, it is thought to be unlikely that the situation will be resolved. If PSG wins their appeal, the Morocco international will join the capital club and fill the role left behind by Pablo Sarabia, who exited for Wolverhampton Wanderers last month. However, if the commission denies the appeal, Ziyech will return to Chelsea with an uncertain future as the English club moves in a different direction that doesn’t include the winger. 
The gaffe evoked memories of David de Gea’s mooted dream move to Real Madrid allegedly being scuppered due to a faulty fax machine in 2015. Ziyech, a £33 million signing in 2020, is now left in limbo and will be anxiously waiting for the transfer to get the green light. 
