Chelsea have reportedly been rejected by Juventus after making a bid of cash plus Timo Werner for Matthijs de Ligt, but a move could still be on the cards.
The Blues need to bring in defensive reinforcements this summer after Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger departed at the end of their contracts.
De Ligt is a top priority, according to the Daily Mail, and the Blues are willing to use Werner as a makeweight to get a deal done.
However, an opening offer of €40 million (£34.4m) plus the Germany international was turned down by the Turin club.
De Ligt has a release clause of £102m in his Juventus contract, but Chelsea are hopeful they can complete the signing without triggering it.
The Dutch defender is said to be open to a move to Stamford Bridge, while Juve are interested in Werner, although Christian Pulisic is reportedly also on the table.
An agreement still needs to be reached for the fee, though, while Nathan Ake of Manchester City is viewed as an alternative target.
De Ligt joined Juve from Ajax in July 2019 in a deal worth more than €85m.
He has a deal until 2024 with the Old Lady, but is coming off two difficult seasons at the club where they finished fourth in Serie A.
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Chelsea are preparing for a potential superstar move, as Neymar could well become available this summer.
Raheem Sterling has also been linked with a move to the Blues, perhaps replacing Hakim Ziyech, who has been rumoured to be in contact with a transfer to AC Milan. Yannick Carrasco has also been linked, while Matthijs De Ligt is a target, too.
The west Londoners may well look at swap deals, too, apparently to refresh their squad.
