Thursday's Chelsea transfer talk news roundup: David Alaba, Marcos Alonso, Erling Braut Haaland

The January transfer window is now open, with Chelsea continuing to be linked with a host of big names.

The Blues were the biggest spenders in the summer, splashing more than £200m, but they have been tipped to do yet more business in January as they look to bridge the gap to the leading pack in the Premier League.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up the latest news on possible comings and goings from Stamford Bridge.

Thursday morning's Chelsea transfer talk news roundup:

Manchester City 'to offer David Alaba £240,000-a-week contract'

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Manchester City are reportedly preparing to offer David Alaba a £240,000-a-week contract in the hope of convincing the Austrian to move to the Etihad Stadium.

Alaba's existing deal with Bayern Munich is due to expire at the end of June, and it appears increasingly likely that he will be leaving the German giants on a free transfer.

A number of clubs, including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United, have been credited with an interest in the defender over the last few months.

However, according to AS, City are hoping that a contract offer of £240,000 a week will be enough to lure the 28-year-old to Manchester for the 2021-22 campaign.

Alaba remains a key player for Bayern despite the speculation surrounding his future, making 24 appearances in all competitions during the current season.

The defender has featured over 400 times for Der FCB in total, meanwhile, winning nine Bundesliga titles and two Champions League crowns at the Allianz Arena.

Thomas Tuchel 'wants to bring Erling Braut Haaland to Chelsea this summer'

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Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has reportedly identified Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Braut Haaland as his number one transfer target in this summer's window.

Tuchel was confirmed as the London club's new head coach on Tuesday, with the former Paris Saint-Germain boss replacing Frank Lampard at the helm.

According to the Daily Mail, the 47-year-old is determined to bring a new forward to Stamford Bridge ahead of the 2021-22 campaign, and Haaland is viewed as the priority target in the final third of the field.

The 20-year-old has been in excellent form for Dortmund during the current season, finding the back of the net on 21 occasions in 19 appearances for his Bundesliga club.

Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona have also been strongly linked with the Norway international, who has struck 29 times in 27 outings for BVB in all competitions.

Haaland is unlikely to be allowed to leave Signal Iduna Park this summer, but a release clause in his contract is expected to come into play in 2022, with a host of clubs said to be keeping a close eye on developments.

More transfer news from Chelsea:

Barcelona 'eyeing move for Chelsea's Marcos Alonso'
Chelsea defender Marcos Alonso emerges as a January target for Barcelona, according to a report. Read more.

Roma 'eyeing loan move for Olivier Giroud'
Roma want to sign Chelsea forward Olivier Giroud on loan for the remainder of the season, according to a report. Read more.