Chelsea will reportedly be unable to sign either RB Leipzig forward Timo Werner or Borussia Dortmund attacker Jadon Sancho during this month's transfer window.
The Blues, having had their FIFA-imposed transfer suspension reduced on appeal, are expected to be active in January, with head coach Frank Lampard short on numbers.
Both Werner and Sancho have been linked with moves to Stamford Bridge, but according to Goal.com, the Premier League giants will have to wait until at least the summer before holding serious discussions with Leipzig and Dortmund.
The report claims that Werner 'is dreaming' of winning the Bundesliga title with Leipzig, while a clause in his current deal would make him cheaper at the end of the campaign.
Dortmund, meanwhile, have allegedly ruled out the possibility of Sancho departing this month with the 19-year-old, despite his disciplinary problems, in excellent form for the club.
The Blues have already lost seven times in the Premier League this season but remain fourth in the table, five points clear of fifth-placed Manchester United.