With Chelsea sitting at the top of the Premier League standings and a number of world-class attacking players at his disposal, the general consensus was that Thomas Tuchel would be more than satisfied with his options in the final third.
However, according to a report on Thursday, the Blues head coach has informed the club's hierarchy that he is keen to add another forward to his squad.
If that speculation is correct, the demand may stem from injuries sustained by Timo Werner and Romelu Lukaku, something which has forced Tuchel to identify alternative solutions.
While much can change between now and the January transfer window, Sports Mole suggests five players who could bolster the squad of the European champions at the midway point of the campaign.
© Reuters
Given Fiorentina's alleged valuation of Dusan Vlahovic, Chelsea may decide to completely ignore the possibility of signing the in-demand Serbia international.
Nevertheless, the 21-year-old's form in Serie A, and subsequent interest from other Premier League clubs, means that he will naturally be linked with a move to Stamford Bridge if Tuchel is in the market.
From Vlahovic's perspective, a transfer to Chelsea will make little sense if he wants to start every game, something which will be his first priority at this stage of his career.
However, Chelsea will see the benefit of adding another frontman to their squad who is in the same mould of Lukaku, and it would not come as a surprise if an approach was made at the turn of the year.
Despite Vlahovic receiving interest from clubs around Europe, it would arguably make more sense for Chelsea to move for Andrea Belotti over the Fiorentina frontman.
The Italy international will have six months remaining on his contract in January and there is little chance of him entertaining fresh terms at his current club.
Although Torino are allegedly against a sale at the midway point of the campaign, they may be prepared to reconsider with the 27-year-old having only made two starts this season.
If reports are to be believed, it is only a matter of time before Karim Adeyemi makes the transfer to one of European football's biggest clubs.
The 19-year-old, who has already won three caps for Germany, has chipped in with 14 goals for Red Bull Salzburg this season, form which has led to interest from Liverpool.
While a move to Anfield may appear to be a better fit at this stage, Adeyemi could be attracted by the prospect of joining the German contingent at Stamford Bridge.
© Reuters
Given the game time that he is earning at Southampton, Tuchel and Chelsea's board may prefer for Armando Broja to see out the campaign at St Mary's.
However, if the Blues rate the academy graduate so highly, it would make sense for the 20-year-old to be recalled at the start of 2022.
To a certain degree, the Albania international has already proven that he is made for Premier League football, and his development would not necessarily stagnate if he was given restricted game time in bigger matches for his parent club.
We admit that this is a long shot. Having recently turned 33 years of age, Artem Dzyuba will not be regarded as a long-term option by Chelsea.
However, the veteran, who is in the last year of his contract, would add something different off the substitutes' bench, filling the void which was left by Olivier Giroud.
Being Russian, the same nationality as owner Roman Abramovich, also plays into his favour, and he could put himself into Tuchel's thinking if he causes problems when Zenit St Petersburg host Chelsea in the Champions League on December 8.
