The Blues sold Fernandez for a joint record British fee of around £125 million on transfer deadline day but failed to land midfield replacement after the signing of Monaco and Senegal midfielder Lamine Camara fell through.
According to reports, Chelsea are no longer interested in pursuing move for Camara and have instead set their sights on Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott and Crystal Palace playmaker Adam Wharton.
Xabi Alonso's side reportedly had an offer for Scott, 23, rejected during the summer, with the Cherries seemingly unwilling to sell their prized asset until the end of the 2026/27 season.
Meanwhile, Wharton had also been subject of transfer speculation with Manchester United and Liverpool linked with signing the 22-year-old.
The Stamford Bridge outfit has had another underwhelming start to the new Premier League campaign and currently occupy tenth position on the table after five fixtures.
The West London based club suffered an embarrassing 3-0 defeat to Brentford ahead of the FIFA international break and will need to strengthen their midfield during the January transfer window.
