Chelsea are reportedly preparing to approach Manchester United over a deal for Alejandro Garnacho, with the Blues pushing to sign the Argentina international before the end of the January transfer window.
There is currently a host of speculation surrounding the 20-year-old's future, with Man United willing to listen to substantial offers for financial reasons, as his exit would count as pure profit under the Premier League's rules surrounding Profit and Sustainability, placing the club in a much stronger position to spend this year.
Napoli had an offer, thought to be in the region of £40m, turned down last week, and Antonio Conte's side are now believed to be focusing on signing Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund.
Chelsea have also been linked with Garnacho, with the Blues said to be keen add a wide forward to their squad, and the ex-Atletico Madrid youngster is said to be a leading target for the capital giants.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea have already spoken to Garnacho's camp to discuss the possibility of him making the move to the London club before the end of the winter window.
The report claims that the Blues are now planning to approach Man United to determine how much would be required to complete what would be one of the most spectacular January deals in Premier League history.
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Chelsea 'planning to hold Garnacho talks' with Man United
Man United are not said to be actively looking to sell Garnacho, while the player is said to be happy to remain at Old Trafford despite his difficulties under new head coach Ruben Amorim.
However, with Napoli now switching their attention away from the forward, Chelsea could have a clear run at him, and there is believed to be a genuine chance that he could make the move to Stamford Bridge.
Man United allegedly want at least £55m for Garnacho, but Napoli are not believed to have been willing to offer an overall package of more than £46.5m, which led to them moving their attention elsewhere.
Chelsea, though, are said to have the funds in place to sign the youngster before the end of the winter window, with discussions set to be held between two of the biggest clubs in the Premier League.
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Could Garnacho really make the move to Chelsea?
According to Football Insider, Man United, for obvious reasons, would rather sell Garnacho abroad, but with Napoli now potentially out of the race, there are not many more options on the table.
A big-money sale of Garnacho would do a lot for Man United moving forward, including in this window, as it would open the door for them to potentially bring in a striker and a left-back.
There is a possibility that the Red Devils could leave themselves incredibly short, though, as Antony is nearing a loan switch to Real Betis, while Marcus Rashford is still expected to leave on loan before the end of the month.
Mason Mount continues to struggle with injury problems, meanwhile, so Man United's attacking unit would be light without any reinforcements this month, and unless Chelsea place a ridiculously high offer on the table, then the 20-time English champions should not make any firm decisions on Garnacho's future until the end of the campaign.
Matt Law
