Chelsea transfer round-up: Blues to battle Man Utd for RB Leipzig’s Upamecano

We are almost at the mid-way point of the January transfer window and there has still been little action from Chelsea so far.

The Blues splashed out over £200m on new players in the summer but are yet to make any new signings so far this month.

And their priority may well be getting rid of some of the deadwood in their squad before the window closes ahead of another raid on the market in the summer.

So what are the latest rumours coming out of Stamford Bridge?

Here's a look at just three of them…

Chelsea join Upamecano race

Chelsea have allegedly joined Manchester United in the race to sign RB Leipzig centre-back Dayot Upamecano.

The 22-year-old has become one of the most sought-after defenders in Europe in recent years due to his superb displays in the Bundesliga and the Champions League.

Upamecano signed a new deal last year which contains a £40m release clause.

And according to the Daily Mail Chelsea are keen to trigger it to bring the player to Stamford Bridge in the summer.

They are likely to face competition though, with Barcelona and Bayern Munich among the other clubs interested.

Bakayoko update issued

Forgotten man Tiemoue Bakayoko could be set to make his stay at Napoli permanent.

The midfielder was signed by the Blues from Monaco for a fee of £40m in 2017 but never settled at the club.

He was sent on his third loan spell during the summer to Napoli, and his agent told Italian journalist Simone Guadagno: " It is too soon to talk about it (Bakayoko's future), there are still so many things to see.

"Neither the club nor the player have spoken to each other. Staying in Naples would be good. We will see at the end of the season."

Napoli want Emerson

Napoli are reportedly targeting Blues full-back Emerson Palmieri on a loan deal until the end of the season.

The 26-year-old Brazilian was tipped to leave in the summer and has made just two Premier League appearances all season.

And according to The Telegraph Napoli see Emerson as a perfect short-term option before they line up a permanent move for a left-back in the summer.

Chelsea are unlikely to stand in the way of Emerson leaving given that they already have the likes of Ben Chilwell, Marcos Alonso and Reece James who can play in the position.

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