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Chelsea will truly flex their financial muscles in the summer, when Antonio Conte will presumably set about preparing for a Champions League campaign to come, and the only incoming business likely to be concluded this month would be for a No2 goalkeeper to allow Asmir Begovic to complete his £10m move to Bournemouth. The Premier League leaders are exploring a number of options – they have actually turned to Christophe Lollichon, previously their goalkeeping coach, to help drawing up a list of targets – and have spoken to Celtic regarding Craig Gordon’s potential availability. The Scotland international is out of contract in the summer, though his current club have an option to extend his stay. “It is not something we would consider, really,” said Brendan Rodgers after Wednesday’s victory over St Johnstone. “He is someone I want to lock down during my time here, a good guy who is enjoying life.”

Alternatives may be Galatasaray’s Fernando Muslera, a Uruguay international, and Diego López who is currently on loan at Espanyol from Milan. Yet both those players are regulars at their current clubs and would effectively be swapping regular football for life as Thibaut Courtois’ understudy at Stamford Bridge. More realistic, perhaps, could be Tim Krul at Newcastle given the Dutchman has not been used at all over the first half of the campaign while on loan at Ajax. Chelsea could yet loan further young players out to gain first-team experience, with Fikayo Tomori having joined Brighton & Hove Albion. Kenedy, returned from a spell at Watford, has attracted interest from Flamengo.