Chelsea Transfer News: Falcao, Richards, Zaha And Taison Discussed In Latest Speculation

Although details of a potentially complicated medical are still pending, Chelsea are widely expected to complete their first signing of the transfer window with the arrival of Demba Ba from Newcastle. Chelsea’s spending may not end with the £7 million purchase of the Senegalese striker, however.

With the £12 million sale of Daniel Sturridge, Chelsea remain short in attack, despite Ba’s arrival. Their lack of firepower was demonstrated in Wednesday’s shock 1-0 defeat at home to Queens Park Rangers.

Chelsea’s main target is long thought to be Atletico Madrid’s Radamel Falcao. The Blues, though, have accepted that the prolific Colombian will not leave until the summer, according to the Independent.

Whether Falcao will join Chelsea appears to be another matter.

Spanish publication AS has cited reports claiming that Atletico president Enrique Cerezo has said that Falcao will be moving to rivals Real Madrid.

"Falcao signed some kind of agreement with Real Madrid a while ago," he said, according to AS.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez reportedly joked at an award ceremony last month, which Falcao attended, that he would pass a serviette to the 26-year-old asking him to sign for the Spanish champions.

The Independent reports that Chelsea maintain an interest in signing Brazilian wide forward Taison this month from Metalist Kharkiv. The 24-year-old moved to the Ukrainian side in 2010 from Internacional, where he played with Chelsea midfielder Oscar.

And Taison recently revealed that he would be keen for a reunion with Oscar and that he has met with Blues owner Roman Abramovich.

"I went to England (some weeks ago) just to take a look. I talked to the president," he told Diario Popular.

"I see Oscar, who I played alongside at Internacional, and I want to play with him again."

Another option for Chelsea would appear to be Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha. The Guardian has reported that the Blues are one of four clubs—along with Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham—to have made informal contact about signing the 20-year-old.

However, if a deal is to be struck this month then Palace would want Zaha to go back on loan to the Championship club for the remainder of the season, according to the Guardian. Palace are also said to be seeking to take two or three players on loan from the buying club if a deal occurs.

Palace chairman Steve Paris has said that he expects Zaha to stay until the summer.

"I think he will be a Palace player until the summer,” he said, according to Sky Sports. “He has said himself that he really wants to help us get promoted. You can see on the pitch how hard he is trying to achieve that.

"I think he will be a Palace player until the summer and then we will look at it. Obviously, we will look at anything that anybody offers us because we will be mad not to.

"If we feel we can move the club forward from doing certain things, then we will. So, never say never. But right now we are focused on trying to keep everyone in the squad."

There have also been surprise reports that Chelsea are trying to sign Manchester City defender Micah Richards. The speculation came after the currently injured 24-year-old was spotted at Stamford Bridge before Chelsea’s defeat to QPR on Wednesday.

Chelsea boss Rafael Benitez refused to rule out a move for Richards, according to the Daily Mail, although the tabloid also states that the England international was merely watching former City teammates Shaun Wright-Phillips and Nedum Onuoha.