Chelsea's two January transfer priorities have been revealed as the Blues look to strengthen their squad to bridge the gap to Premier League leaders Arsenal. The Premier League started the season on a positive note, but their form took a dip towards the end of the year as they managed to win just one match out of their last five outings in the league, including a loss to Aston Villa on Saturday. After guiding Chelsea to a top-five finish in his maiden campaign at Stamford Bridge, Maresca signed a host of new players, including welcoming star forwards Joao Pedro and Liam Delap. The Blues started the season on a bright note, but they were often inconsistent as Chelsea dropped points in games where they should have dominated and won.Even Maresca has acknowledged his team's weakness and pointed out that they need to be more consistent, as he earlier said: "Probably it’s correct in this moment, and it’s the reason why we are not probably in this moment close to the top is that we need to be more consistent against different kinds of teams. And it’s one of the targets for the future, to try to improve how to play games against these kinds of teams, and hopefull,y we can continue to do the right things against big teams.   "If you want to be there at the end of the season, you have to be consistent; otherwise, you struggle. That’s why I consider December, January and February important months, because after that I think you can set the targets in March, and hopefully we will be in a place where we can fight for something more." According to The Standard, Chelsea are prioritising strengthening two positions in 2026 as they look to bolster their backline as well as the centre midfield role as the team are currently overdependent on Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez. However, the report also adds that the club are unlikely to make any major signings next month and will remain mostly silent in the January transfer window. The Blues, though, will monitor some young talents next month as they have their eyes on the progress of Greek wonderkid Konstantinos Karetsas, who plays for Genk, and the 17-year-old Saint-Etienne winger Djylian N'Guessan.  Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!Chelsea were linked with a move for Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo at one point, as several top European clubs were linked with a move for the winger. However, at the moment, Manchester City are leading the race to sign the Cherries attacker, as The Athletic reports that the Blues are now out of the race. While Chelsea are admirers of Semenyo's talent, they have no plans of pursuing a move for him in January, as they have confidence in their existing set of players and depth in their roster.  Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reportingWith Chelsea prioritising a defensive signing next summer, reports have emerged that they could consider bringing back their ex-star, Antonio Rudiger, from Real Madrid as a free agent. The 32-year-old's current contract at the Santiago Bernabeu expires at the end of the season, and initial conversations between the club and the player's representatives reportedly began several months ago, with financial figures already on the table and a mutual desire to reach an agreement. However, these negotiations were later mutually postponed following the muscle injury the Germany international sustained in late September.Rudiger, who spent five years at Chelsea and won several accolades, including a Champions League title, left Stamford Bridge for Madrid in 2022.