Chelsea will have to wait until at least the summer to try and secure the signings of top attacking targets Jadon Sancho and Timo Werner.
Sancho, at the top of Chelsea’s list, remains on a long-term contract at Borussia Dortmund with the Bundesliga side’s hierarchy keen to hold onto the 19-year-old until at least the end of this season.
Werner, meanwhile, is dreaming of winning the German league title with RB Leipzig and is keen to put any talk of his future on hold until after Euro 2020.
The 23-year-old striker scored 18 goals in the first half of the season and currently believes Leipzig is the best place to get ready for the Euros, after which he will assesses his options.
Werner is also understood to have a release clause in his contract which means he would be available for a cheaper price in the summer transfer window than in January. However, even if any club triggers the clause this month, Werner has rejected the idea of moving in this transfer window.
Crystal Palace are ready to resist offers for another Chelsea target, £80 million ($105m) Wilfried Zaha, after seeing off approaches from Arsenal and Everton last summer.
Chelsea are also known to be admirers of Villarreal star Samuel Chukwueze and CSKA Moscow forward Fyodor Chalov.
Blues manager Frank Lampard is keen to strengthen his attack, particularly with Olivier Giroud and Pedro exploring options to leave west London this month.
Getty ImagesGiroud's most likely destination is Inter but Antonio Conte’s side will need to offload Matteo Politano - who could make a move to Roma - before striking a deal for the France international.
Lyon and Bordeaux have also registered an interest in Giroud but they are not thought to be concrete options for a player who has made only one start since August.
Pedro, meanwhile, has two MLS clubs enquiring about a possible move ahead of the new season. New York City FC, Manchester City's sister club, and Inter Miami, the side co-owned by David Beckham, are looking into signing the former Barcelona star but both clubs have issues to resolve. NYCFC do not currently have a Designated Player slot available, whereas Miami have two.
Like Giroud, Pedro has just six months remaining on his current Chelsea contract, allowing him to move in a relatively low-cost deal.
Aside from getting rid of surplus attackers, Chelsea retain a £40m ($52m) buyback clause after selling Nathan Ake to Bournemouth for £20m ($26m) back in 2017. The Dutchman is currently out injured until the end of the month with a hamstring problem.
A move away from the club for Marcos Alonso could bring about an offer for Ake, with Inter looking to add the Spanish left-back to their ranks.
Conte is personally keen on signing his former Chelsea players but progress with Alonso has stalled over a €35m (£30m/$39m) asking price. Inter had hoped to loan the Spaniard for six months with an option to buy in the summer at a total cost of €20m (£17m/$22m).
Getty ImagesFurther to Alonso, Chelsea's star academy defender Marc Guehi is attracting loan interest from Premier League and Championship clubs but it is unclear if he will leave Stamford Bridge in January.
Emerson Palmieri is being linked with a January return to Serie A, although he is understood to favour a stay in London.
Lampard admitted last week that his side are trying to renew the contract of recent debutant Tariq Lamptey, who is a free-transfer target for Paris Saint-Germain and Wolves.
Danny Drinkwater's loan move to Burnley will expire on January 6 with Aston Villa being linked with a deal after a mixed spell in Lancashire.