Chelsea supporters will be looking at the January transfer window thinking a couple of new signings could propel them to an unexpected Premier League title triumph.

The Blues have put themselves in an incredible position at Christmas, with a busy second half of the season to come in the new year. Enzo Maresca has got his team challenging at the very top of the table, even if the Italian does not think they are ready to win the title just yet.

The January transfer window opens in less than a week's time now and Chelsea will be among a host of clubs looking at strengthening their squad. However, they must keep an eye on Financial Fair Play and Profit and Sustainability rules to ensure they balance their books.

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That may lead to them making plans for the summer instead and there are a number of deals they could complete in January, that would see players arrive in the summer on free transfers.

That is because Chelsea can talk to foreign players who are in the final six months of their contracts to come to a pre-contract agreement with them over a free move in the summer. Here football.london takes a look at seven standout candidates and one who could move for free next month...

Leroy Sane

Sane has been linked with a return to the Premier League, following a four-year spell in Germany with Bayern Munich. Spent four years at Manchester City, where he scored 25 goals in 90 appearances.

Alphonso Davies

Another Bayern Munich player on the list. Chelsea may look to strengthen in the left-back department, given Ben Chilwell's isolation and with Davies there are not many better.

Joshua Kimmich

A third Bayern Munich player on the list - the German giants could find themselves in a spot of bother next summer. Kimmich is entering the twilight of his career, but has proven his quality time and again and the Premier League would be a new challenge for him.

Jonathan David

Chelsea looked at a number of strikers in the summer transfer window and David's name cropped up as being linked with a number of Premier League clubs. At 24 he has plenty of time on his hands and would be a perfect free transfer signing.

Neymar

Has a contract in Saudi Arabia that runs out next year and has been linked with Chelsea many times in the past. At 32, can he still do a job in one of the most physical leagues in the world, however?

Angel Gomes

The new England international is out of contract at Lille and would love nothing more than proving Manchester United wrong in letting him go by starring for Chelsea.

Ferland Mendy

Another potential left-back signing is the Real Madrid man, although at 29-years-old, would make going for Davies a more logical decision.

Dani Olmo

And here's one that would be a major signing. Dani Olmo has been temporarily registered to Barcelona for the first half of the season, having signed in the summer. Financial issues meant the deal could not be done in its entirety, with La Liga giving the Catalan club the chance to register him temporarily.

That temporary deal runs out on December 31, with no sign of it being extended at the moment and that could alert Premier League teams like Chelsea, as, according to reports, the failure to extend his league paperwork would mean he’d be able to leave his boyhood club for a second time - this time on a free transfer.

He would be an incredible free signing who could actually join in January.