Alves and Maicon on Chelsea's £50m-plus shopping list

Chelsea hope to follow the expected signing of Nicolas Anelka when the January transfer window opens next week with the arrival of up to three other new players in what could amount to a stunning transfer spree by the Premier League club.

If all their targets are secured, in what is manager Avram Grant's first foray into the transfer market, Chelsea could end up splashing out more than £50m which is unlikely to be matched by any other club next month, although Manchester City could also be big spenders.

Despite injury to John Terry and the suspension of Ricardo Carvalho, the problematic right-back position has again been identified as a priority with Maicon Douglas, a 26-year-old Brazilian who plays for Internazionale, the newest name to emerge as a target. Also on that list remains Daniel Alves, another Brazilian, and one who came close to joining Chelsea last summer from Seville.

The problem with both players for Chelsea is that they are cup-tied for the Champions League. Winning the European Cup is the club's main priority this season with Grant also looking to add two more midfielders a creative player and a winger to his squad.

Chelsea have been severely hampered by injury and suspension, and will face further strain on their playing resources with next month's African Nations Cup set to deprive them of Didier Drogba, if fit, Michael Essien, Salomon Kalou and John Obi Mikel.

Chelsea are showing the strongest interest in Dynamo Zagreb's Luka Modric, a classic No 10 who tore England apart in the European Championship qualifiers, and who would fit the brief for a playmaker. The club's vice-president, Zdravko Mamic, and his son, Zoran, have been in London this week to talk to interested clubs, which are thought to include Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City. It is thought that Mamic, who has also met with Roman Abramovich, wants £20m.

The Chelsea owner has also encouraged Grant to consider Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and Branislav Ivanovic from Lokomotiv Moscow. The pair would cost around 20m. Bilyaletdinov is versatile and can fit the criteria of being a winger or a creative midfielder, while Ivanovic, a Serb, can play at right-back and has also been watched by Manchester United.

Chelsea's prospects of prising either Maicon or Alves, both internationals, away from their respective clubs are slim, not least because Inter and Seville will also regard the Premier League club as one of their main rivals for the European Cup. Maicon, in particular, is in impressive form and the Inter coach, Roberto Mancini, recently hailed him as the best right-back in the world. Like Alves, who came close to moving to Stamford Bridge in August when Chelsea felt they had secured a £21.5m deal, Maicon is more of a wing-back.

The signing of Anelka could be one of the first deals to be completed once the transfer window opens on Tuesday. The 28-year-old is expected to leave Bolton Wanderers for at least 10m.