Fabrizio Romano reveals Chelsea's next transfer priority and names the player they 'love' ahead of January

Chelsea have been incredibly active in the transfer market in recent years and they could yet move into action again in January as Fabrizio Romano revealed a player the London side 'love'.

Enzo Maresca was appointed boss at Stamford Bridge over the summer after making the move following a solitary campaign at Leicester City in which he got the Foxes promoted back to the Premier League.

So far this campaign, Maresca's side sit third in the Premier League, nine points behind early leaders Liverpool, but level on points with Arsenal, who were expected to be title challengers this season.

In their final game over the weekend before the current international break, Chelsea came from behind to draw 1-1 with the Gunners at Stamford Bridge.

Gabriel Martinelli had put Mikel Arteta's side ahead on the hour mark before Pedro Neto equalised for the hosts to ensure the spoils were shared and keep the Blues ahead of Arsenal in the table due to their superior goal difference.

Since Todd Boehly's takeover of the club in 2022, Chelsea have been incredibly active in the transfer market.

In the summer window, no fewer than 11 players were signed by the Stamford Bridge club.

Omari Kellyman, Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Guiu, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Renato Veiga, Caleb Wiley, Filip Jorgensen, Aaron Anselmino, Neto and Joao Felix arrived on permanent deals, while Jadon Sancho arrived at the end of August on loan for the season from Manchester United.

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Though Chelsea have plenty of players to call upon, it seems the club are still seeking reinforcements and, according to transfer guru Romano, the heart of the defence is an area of the squad they are looking to strengthen.

Benfica's Tomas Araujo is said to be a player Chelsea 'love' and Romano reports the London club could move for the player either next summer or possibly even in January.

Araujo, 22, came through the youth team ranks at the Portuguese side and has scored once in 36 games across all competitions for Benfica since making his first-team debut for the club in December 2021.

However, Araujo is under contract until the summer of 2028 as things stand, having penned fresh terms with Benfica in the summer of 2023.

It means Chelsea would likely have to spend big to bring Araujo to Stamford Bridge, with the player reported to have a release clause of €100 million in his contract.