Chelsea: Gonzalo Higuain's agent dismisses talk of January move to Stamford Bridge

Gonzalo Higuain's brother and agent has dismissed reports suggesting the Napoli striker is being targeted by Chelsea for a January move.

The Mirror claims Jose Mourinho will encourage owner Roman Abramovich to bring in additional firepower in January to help ease the strain on his team, suggesting Argentina international Higuain is the manager's ideal candidate.

But Nicolas Higuain, the striker's brother and agent, has warned Chelsea any attempts to prise the 27-year-old away from the Stadio San Paolo will be unsuccessful. "First, I have not spoken to any club because no one contacted me and then it would be disrespectful to Napoli," he told Radio Crc, Tutto Mercato Web report.

"[Napoli president Aurelio] De Laurentiis is a great man, a man of honour and I could not behave incorrectly. Gonzalo is quiet, he has a contract with Napoli and he is not preparing for a departure because he is happy."

After a sublime start to life in the Premier League last season, Diego Costa has been guilty as anyone else in the Chelsea dressing room of underperforming this term, having scored just two league goals in all competitions.

Costa's woes in front of goal are not helped by the fact that the goal-shy Radamel Falcao and Loic Remy have been unable to put any real pressure on the Spain international's spot in the first team – with the Frenchman so far failing to get off the mark in the Premier League.

Chelsea's latest defeat to Stoke City on 7 November was their seventh in the league from just 12 games, a result that leaves them just three points above the relegation zone. Mourinho was absent from that defeat after being barred entry from the Britannia after being handed a one-match stadium ban for accusing referees of being "afraid" to award his side penalties after defeat to Southampton in October.