Chelsea target January moves for Moussa Dembele and Ben Chilwell - reports

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - Chelsea could be set to make bids for Lyon striker Moussa Dembele and Leicester City full-back Ben Chilwell as the January transfer window opens for business, according to reports in the British media.

Chelsea, currently fourth in the Premier League table, recently had a two-window transfer ban reduced to one on appeal, which allows the club to enter the market for new players this month.

One player the Blues have been linked with - based on a report from Sky Sports - is French forward Dembele, who has impressed in Ligue 1 since joining Lyon from Scottish club Celtic in August 2018.

Dembele, who began his senior career at Chelsea's local rivals Fulham, has reportedly been identified by manager Frank Lampard as a key target to provide competition up front to Tammy Abraham - scorer of 12 Premier League goals in his debut season.

Should Dembele, 23, make the switch to Stamford Bridge this month, it almost certainly spells the end for his compatriot Olivier Giroud, while Belgian striker Michy Batshuayi could also leave the club in search of regular football.

No figures have been mentioned in terms of the transfer fee Lyon would request for Dembele, who joined the French side for £20 million (Dh97.35m).

Chelsea are also reported to be interested in Leicester left-back Chilwell, but could face competition from Manchester City for the England international's signature, according to The i.

Chilwell, also 23, has established himself as England's first-choice left-back and is enjoying another fine season for his club to help the Foxes sit second in the Premier League table.

Leicester are under no pressure to sell Chilwell, particularly in the middle of the season, as the defender still has four-and-a-half years left on his contract. The i report claims any transfer fee would be in the region of £60m.

Left-back has become a problem area for Chelsea. Marcos Alonso has proved a fine wing-back when operating in a 3-4-3 formation but has been vulnerable when playing in a flat back four, and it's a similar story for Emerson Palmieri.

However, Chelsea, City or any other club interested in Chilwell will likely have to wait until the summer to get the deal over the line, with Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers recently saying: “There’ll be no one leaving in January. Categorically.

“I’m sure if we speak, [the owners] will have the same message. It’s very clear: we want to keep this squad together. We want to ensure they stay around beyond January.”