Chelsea are at the dawn of a new chapter under Liam Rosenior's management, and they made it a winning start against Charlton Athletic last weekend to set up a fourth round FA Cup tie with Hull City.
Rosenior was already embedded in the BlueCo hierarchy after fine work with Chelsea's sister club Strasbourg in Ligue 1, so this has been a smooth transition following the dismissal of Enzo Maresca on New Year's Day.
Whether Chelsea act before the closure of the January transfer window in a little over two weeks remains to be seen, but the Blues are in for a dynamic winger once again and have even started initial talks with an underrated talent.
Chelsea open initial talks for new winger
Before Christmas, Bournemouth fielded an enquiry from Chelsea pertaining to Antoine Semenyo. Chelsea were keen on the prolific Premier League forward, but pulled the plug soon after.
Semenyo-Man-City
With Semenyo now thriving for Manchester City, it's clear that the Stamford Bridge side knew it would be difficult to secure his signature, and thus saved time and effort and energy.
But it does tell of interest in a new winger to bolster Rosenior's squad.
And according to reports via Caught Offside, Chelsea have now opened talks this week with the agent of Anis Hadj-Moussa as they look to complete a deal for the Feyenoord star.
Feyenoord's Anis Hadj Moussa celebrates scoring their third goal
Feyenoord's Anis Hadj Moussa celebrates scoring their third goal
Hadj-Moussa, 23, is emerging as one of the most underrated prospects in the Dutch Eredivisie, and while no price tag has been revealed, it's felt that the Algerian's employers are open to a winter sale.
Why Hadj-Moussa could be a strong signing for Chelsea
Chelsea have no shortage of talented wingers, but Hadj-Moussa's preference to play off the right wing suggests he might stand a strong chance of succeeding if he were to move to west London.
Anis Hadj Moussa scores for Feyenoord
Anis Hadj Moussa scores for Feyenoord
"Electric on the ball" and "fearless" when against defenders, this rising star has been described by Emir Scouting as "one of the best up-and-coming wingers in world football".
Hadj-Moussa is perhaps particularly compelling in that he has surpassed his potential as a youth. Talent scout Jacek Kulig observed this, saying last season that the Algeria international has become "one of Europe's most pleasant surprises".
With seven goals and three assists across all competitions this year, the French-born talent would provide a goal threat for Rosenior while offering much more with his overall play.
In this, he could become the west Londoners' own version of Semenyo, bearing a likeness to the Ghana international, who has been one of the most dangerous players in the Premier League this season.
League Stats 25/26 - Hadj-Moussa vs Semenyo
Stats (* per game)
Matches (starts)
Goals + Assists
Touches*
Shots (on target)*
Accurate passes*
Chances created*
Dribbles*
Ball recoveries*
Tackles + interceptions*
Duels won*
Data via Sofascore
He's only at the start of his career, and Hadj-Moussa is not as positionally flexible as Semenyo, but you can see why Chelsea are invested.
The duo share physical attributes, and while both focus on scoring goals for their sides, each offer much on the creative front too, with Hadj-Moussa ranking among the top 2% of positional peers in Holland this term for shot-creating actions per 90 (5.25), as per FBref.
Shot-creating actions are pieces of play that lead to a shot. These include moments such as a pass, take-on or foul being drawn.
He would add a different flavour to Chelsea's line-up, establishing Rosenior's reign.
Inter Milan's Piotr Zielinski in action with Feyenoord's Anis Hadj Moussa
This is a move Chelsea must make, potentially bypassing the overpriced tax that falls on Premier League players while still signing a winger of quality.
Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior reacts Related
[Rosenior's a fan: Chelsea willing to blitz transfer record for £130m "monster"](https://www.footballfancast.com/liam-rosenior-chelsea-blitz-transfer-record-julian-alvarez/ "Rosenior's a fan: Chelsea willing to blitz transfer record for £130m "monster"")
The Blues are prepared to spend big to get a deal for a new forward over the line.