Chelsea are in talks with Paris Saint-Germain over an audacious player-plus-cash deal for Kylian Mbappe, according to a report.
Once again, the 24-year-old's future is one of the prime talking points of the transfer window after he indicated his refusal to extend his PSG contract beyond the end of next season.
Mbappe's decision leaves PSG faced with the prospect of losing the world's second-most expensive player on a free transfer in 2024, which club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has insisted will not be allowed to happen.
However, Real Madrid are seemingly banking on Mbappe joining the club for nothing next year, and PSG fear that the France international has already given Los Blancos his word.
Nevertheless, Saudi Arabian giants Al-Hilal apparently had a world-record €300m (£257.7m) bid accepted by PSG, but Mbappe refused to enter talks over a move to the Middle East.
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With the Real Madrid and Al-Hilal avenues closed off for now, PSG's hopes of offloading Mbappe this summer are dwindling, but Liverpool are purported to be considering a shock loan swoop for the France international.
Now, the Daily Record claims that Chelsea have also thrown their hat into the ring, and the Blues are attempting to engineer a player-plus-cash deal for the former Monaco protege.
Blues co-owner Todd Boehly has supposedly received encouragement from PSG during talks with his counterpart Al-Khelaifi, who is yet to receive a formal bid from Real Madrid this summer.
Los Blancos have already spent big to win the race for Jude Bellingham, as well as bringing Arda Guler, Fran Garcia and Espanyol striker Joselu to the club, with the latter joining on loan as a replacement for Karim Benzema.
Both Carlo Ancelotti and Real president Florentino Perez have played down the chances of more new faces arriving in Madrid during the current window, but PSG are apparently still braced for Los Blancos to make their move in the coming weeks.
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However, the French champions do not expect Real to meet their financial demands, while Chelsea will instead try to sweeten the deal by including players viewed as dispensable by Mauricio Pochettino.
It is unclear which members of Chelsea's squad could be used in negotiations, but Romelu Lukaku, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Malang Sarr and Hakim Ziyech - the latter of whom was on the brink of joining PSG in January before a deal collapsed - are all on the chopping block.
Mbappe's arrival at Stamford Bridge would reinforce an attack already strengthened by the signings of Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson, as well as two youthful additions in Angelo Gabriel and Diego Moreira.
Pochettino's side are also reported to be closing in on two more Ligue 1-based signings, having agreed a £23.2m deal to poach 19-year-old Rennes midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu, who could be loaned out to sister club Strasbourg.
A recent report claimed that Monaco have accepted a £38.5m fee from Chelsea for centre-back Axel Disasi, as Pochettino seeks defensive cover following Wesley Fofana's knee injury and subsequent operation.
Ben Knapton
