According to a report by Football London on Monday, November 9, 2026, Chelsea are expected to have another busy January transfer window, with several players facing uncertain futures at Stamford Bridge as head coach Xabi Alonso continues to rebuild his squad.

The Blues are also considering strengthening their defence following concerns about Levi Colwill and Wesley Fofana. Maxence Lacroix is currently recovering from an injury, while Aaron Anselmino has yet to prove himself as a regular option in the team.

Midfield is another area Chelsea want to improve, with Bournemouth's Alex Scott reportedly at the top of their transfer wishlist. The club are also keeping an eye on Harrison Armstrong and Lewis Miley as potential additions.

However, allowing some players to leave is also an important part of Chelsea's plans. Despite selling players worth around £500 million during the summer transfer window, the club still have a large squad and are looking to reduce their numbers.

One player who could depart in January is Ecuadorian youngster Kendry Paez, who is currently playing for Harry Hudson's Cobham Next Gen team. The attacking midfielder recently started in their 3-1 win over Tottenham.

Chelsea signed Paez for £17 million before sending him on loan to River Plate, but his temporary spell with the Argentine club has now come to an end. The youngster has also been called up by Ecuador for their international matches in November.

According to TeamTalk, eight clubs are interested in signing the 18-year-old during the January transfer window, with Scottish champions Celtic reportedly leading the competition for his signature.

Birmingham City and Blackburn Rovers are also monitoring the situation, while Belgian side KV Mechelen and Turkish club Trabzonspor are among the other interested teams. Three unnamed Championship clubs have also made enquiries about his availability.

However, Chelsea could face difficulties arranging another loan move outside England because of restrictions on overseas loan deals. Since Paez has not spent more than three years training at the club following his arrival, he would be counted as one of their foreign loan players.

Chelsea have reportedly already used their six permitted overseas loan places through existing arrangements involving Jesse Derry, Robert Sanchez, Benoit Badiashile, Mamadou Sarr, Dario Essugo and another player at Strasbourg.

This situation means Celtic, Trabzonspor and KV Mechelen would need Chelsea to free up one of their overseas loan positions before they could sign Paez temporarily. Otherwise, those clubs would have to consider making a permanent offer for the Ecuadorian youngster.

Unlike the foreign clubs, Birmingham City, Blackburn Rovers and the three interested Championship teams would not face these restrictions because they are based in England. This could give English clubs an advantage in the race to secure Paez's services in January.