Chelsea's transfer strategy in ruins: Key targets are now set to be snapped up by rivals

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel may be ruing his decision not to sign any new senior players before the Premier League transfer window closed at the end of January.

As part of sanctions imposed on owner Roman Abramovich because of his ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin, Tuchel now cannot make any signings until at least May.

After spending £100million last summer, the club could now miss out on some of their top targets. Sportsmail takes a look at the players eyeing moves and Chelsea's Premier League rivals who could be poised to pounce.

JONATHAN DAVID

It is a measure of how quickly Chelsea's crisis has set in that Tuchel has had to abandon his pursuit of a striker he was looking at with interest during the Blues' last Champions League match.

Deadly David has had an excellent season with Lille, scoring 17 goals in all competitions to earn interest from Arsenal and Liverpool.

In an underwhelming season so far for Chelsea's record arrival, Romelu Lukaku's 11 goals have still made him the only player in the squad to hit double figures so far.

Canada forward David looks unlikely to be helping Chelsea's efforts anytime soon. Mikel Arteta is keen after Arsenal missed out on Dusan Vlahovic to Juventus, and Jurgen Klopp would also relish developing the potent 22-year-old.

DECLAN RICE

With a bar on matchday ticket sales and merchandise, key sponsors backing out and even the imposition of relatively modest limits on how much Chelsea can spend on their travel arrangements, thoughts of spending £100million could probably not be further from Tuchel's mind right now.

That is the price West Ham manager David Moyes believes would be cheap for Rice, a midfield mainstay of an impressive season in which his side are vying for a top-four finish.

Dependable Rice has consistently been linked with one of Moyes's former clubs, Manchester United, although the 23-year-old has a connection with Chelsea after spending eight years at the club as a youth team player.

Rice reportedly asked West Ham to inform him of any interest from Chelsea, United or Manchester City when he turned down a contract extension in July 2021. His current deal runs until 2024, with the option of a one-year extension.

JULES KOUNDE

Perenially linked with a switch to Stamford Bridge, Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde almost moved to Chelsea last summer.

The 23-year-old powerhouse is said to have a £75million release clause with the Liga side, who were said to have turned down offers below £60million in 2021.

Tuchel will be desperate for options if some of his out-of-contract defenders, including Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger, leave Chelsea amid the growing uncertainty when their contracts expire at the end of the season.

One of Kounde's predecessors in the France backline, Mikael Silvestre, has urged Manchester United to make a move for one of the hottest properties in Europe.

AURELIEN TCHOUAMENI

Monaco midfielder Tchouameni is another promising player Tuchel was linked with last summer, when the Ligue 1 side's reported £83million price tag may have dissuaded his suitors from bidding for him.

Chelsea's new-found financial plight makes them all the more unlikely to make a move for that kind of money, and Liverpool now appear to be in pole position to land the 22-year-old.

Klopp will be eyeing fresh recruits in a midfield not brimming with young talent, and will see Tchouameni – already a Nations League winner with France – as an ideal signing for the future.

Tchouameni was already on the radar of clubs across Europe when he won Ligue 1's Young Player of the Year in 2020/21.

OUSMANE DEMBELE

Wideman Dembele was initially ostracised by Barcelona and pilloried by the club's fans after failing to agree a new contract, allowing him to leave on a free in the summer.

The 24-year-old is now enjoying an unexpected period of redemption which has included praise from new boss Xavi and his first goal in nine months for Barca.

Chelsea and Tottenham showed interest but did not bid before Dembele almost moved to Paris Saint-Germain before the start of last season.

Unless Chelsea's transfer restrictions are lifted when they are reviewed in May, north London could be the most likely Premier League destination for Dembele if Spurs renew their interest.