Chelsea have deal in place with Shakhtar Donetsk forward Alex Teixeira for January transfer

Chelsea have agreed a deal with Shakhtar Donetsk for the transfer of Alex Teixeira in January, making him the Blues' first signing under Guus Hiddink since his appointment as caretaker manager following the departure of Jose Mourinho. The Dutchman has been drafted in to get the Blues' season back on track as Chelsea languish in the bottom half of the table, a few points above the relegation zone.

The Mirror reports that Chelsea are set to pay up to £30m ($45m) for Teixeira's signature as they look to kickstart their season. The forward has a verbal agreement with the west London club for a transfer and talks are currently being held with Shakhtar to approve the deal. The move transpired after the player decided that he was ready to make the shift to London after Shakhtar's elimination from the group stages of the Champions League.

Teixeira will not be available for Chelsea's Champions League campaign as he is cup tied, but his acquisition will be a massive improvement on their current options in the league, with Diego Costa and Loic Remy struggling to score. Summer signing Radamel Falcao has been a huge flop and is currently out of contention with an injury. Teixeira has been in brilliant form for Shakhtar this season, scoring 26 goals in as many games.

Costa has managed only three goals in 13 appearances – a far cry from his scintillating form last season which saw Chelsea win the league comfortably. Last year's PFA Player of the Year, Eden Hazard has been woeful in the current campaign and his form (alongside that of Costa's) is thought to have been a major reason behind the dismissal of Jose Mourinho.

Chelsea face pivotal fixtures during the packed festive period, starting with a Boxing day home tie against high flying Watford, who are only a point adrift of the top four having won their last four games in the league. This will be followed by a trip to Manchester United who have won just two of their last six league fixtures. The pressure on Louis Van Gaal has been cranked right up, with the Dutchman appearing to crack after he stormed out of a press conference amid reports that he has two games to save his job.