Chelsea have been tipped to sign ‘another forward’ if they are able to ‘get rid of’ some of their current fringe stars by journalist Paul Brown.

The Blues managed to offload unwanted attacking trio Timo Werner, Romelu Lukaku and Callum Hudson-Odoi either on permanent or temporary deals over the summer, but further departures in the attacking third are expected.

What is the latest news involving Chelsea?

Several attackers were reportedly unhappy with their lack of regular game time under former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel and were linked with a move away from the club as a result.

Football.London claimed back in August that the west London outfit were open to selling Hakim Ziyech should a suitable offer arrive for his services after already rejecting an offer worth €25 million (£21m) from AC Milan.

The Manchester Evening News then reported that Erik ten Hag was ‘met with resistance’ by the Manchester United hierarchy in his attempts to bring the Moroccon to the club.

In the same month, The Athletic also revealed that Newcastle’s new owners were eyeing up several of Chelsea’s underused forwards as potential loan targets in the final weeks of the transfer window.

Christian Pulisic was one of the players that the Magpies were supposedly eyeing up, but a deal between the relevant parties couldn’t be reached in time.

What has Brown said about Chelsea?

Brown believes the potential departure of Ziyech or Pulisic, who earn a combined £250,000-per-week, could see Chelsea re-enter the transfer market for some additional firepower.

Read more: January Transfer Window 2023: When Does It Begin, Rumours and Everything You Need To Know

He said: “I do think that if they were able to get rid of some of the wingers that don't seem to have a future there like Ziyech or Pulisic, I think it's a certainty that Chelsea will go for another forward.

“Possibly one who can play in multiple roles so that you have cover in more than one position.”

Who could Chelsea sign?

Spanish reporter Manu Sainz (via Football.London) claimed that AC Milan turned down a €100m (£86.5m) bid from Chelsea for Rafael Leao in the previous transfer window.

Corriere della Sera (via Sport Witness) have stated that Graham Potter’s charges are ‘ahead of everyone’ in the race for the clinical forward, though, who has a €150m (£129.7m) release clause in his contract.

Milan will reportedly not accept anything below £87m for Leao, but they are set to find themselves in a desperate situation following the conclusion of 2022/23 if he refuses to put pen to paper on a new contract.

Leao’s existing deal is set to expire in the summer of 2024, meaning he is fast approaching a crossroads in his promising career.