Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing Aurelien Tchouameni in the January transfer window, but there's a catch. The Blues will only welcome him into the squad at the end of the current season, implying next summer.
According to 90min, the Blues will let Monaco keep their starlet midfielder until the end of the season, providing he agrees to join Thomas Tuchel's side.
Chelsea have been tailing Tchouameni for a while now. The Frenchman came close to leaving the Ligue 1 side in the summer. However, the move failed to materialize.
Chelsea resisted the temptation to sign the 22-year-old in order to allow him to develop further in France. Interestingly, this might prove to be extremely costly for the Blues.
For one thing, his value has skyrocketed. Monaco initially put a £30 million price tag on Tchouameni's head, which has since been increased to nearly £50 million
In addition, the longer the France international impresses on the European stage, the more suitors vying for his signature will increase.
But reports suggest that Chelsea are in pole position to bring the Monaco midfielder to the Premier League.
Chelsea are currently linked with several midfielders, including Declan Rice and Adrien Rabiot
Recent reports also suggest that Chelsea have made contact with yet another French international. The west London club have reportedly contacted Adrien Rabiot to discuss a potential transfer should Chelsea fail to bag their prime targets Declan Rice and Aurelien Tchouameni.
Although Chelsea boast some fine midfielders, Thomas Tuchel is keen to bolster the squad. N'Golo Kante might be one of the best players in his position, but has struggled with injuries for the better part of the last two years.
Saul Niguez came on loan from Atletico Madrid at the end of the summer transfer window, but has failed to impress the German gaffer.
While Jorginho has been absolutely phenomenal, he has often flirted with the idea of returning to Italy. Juventus are among his preferred destinations.
Ross Barkley's time at Chelsea has more or less come to an end. He has found himself warming the bench and could make the switch in the subsequent transfer window.
Tchouameni and Rice are being tailed by several European clubs, which makes things a tad difficult for Chelsea.
However, the Blues might bring him on to a similar deal struck they struck with Borussia Dortmund for Christian Pulisic back in 2019.
There are 11 days left before the transfer window and it might bring about scores of interesting changes. Until then, most transfer rumors should be taken with a pinch of salt.