Chelsea could send two potential January signings; David Datro Fofana and Andrey Santos, on loan ahead of imminent transfers, according to the Evening Standard.
The Blues are reportedly close to signing the two young talents with Molde striker Fofana said to have already completed his medical on Friday ahead of the £8.6million move.
While for Santos, the report claims that a five-year deal is already in place as well as broad agreements between Chelsea and Vasco da Gama.
Chelsea are expected to pay an initial £13m plus a further £7m in add-ons for the 18-year-old.
The pair, however, might neither spend the second half of the season in Chelsea’s first team nor the development squad.
The Evening Standard claims the club sees the two as signings for the future which means they could be sent out on loan alongside young goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina who recently arrived from MLS side Chicago Fire.
This raises the question of whether Chelsea would still be in the market for a new striker in January if Fofana were to be sent out on loan.
Loaning Slonina and Santos would be understandable since Chelsea do not desperately need a new goalkeeper or a new midfielder in the second half of the season.
This is not the case for a new number nine after Armando Broja’s long-term ACL injury, however.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Kai Havertz would likely still be ahead of Fofana in the pecking order even if he were to be in the first team, but relying on just two striker options for the rest of the season is not exactly ideal, either.
The only likely academy option to be used as a back-up would be Jude Soonsup-Bell and, while clearly talented, he does not seem ready for Premier League football yet.
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