Chelsea have reportedly already negotiated a pre-contract agreement with Christopher Nkunku ahead of a potential transfer in 2023.
During the early weeks of the summer window, the RB Leipzig man was heavily linked with a number of clubs, including the Blues who were in the market for new attacking players.
Manchester United and Real Madrid were also said to be monitoring the situation before the France international eventually extended his terms with his current team.
However, reports emerged late last week that the 24-year-old had already undergone 'a secret medical' with Chelsea ahead of a future move to Stamford Bridge.
According to The Athletic, the West Londoners have already expressed a willingness to pay Nkunku'a new release clause of €60m (£52.7m).
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The report suggests that Chelsea were insistence on being proactive in the race to sign Nkunku, who would have likely received more interest throughout the remainder of 2022-23.
Chelsea are allegedly prepared to pay €60m despite Nkunku's release clause not coming into effect until the end of the season.
Although the completion of a transfer is not a foregone conclusion, it currently appears that Nkunku intends to move to Stamford Bridge ahead of 2023-24.
While the versatile attacker has always been on the radar of European football's top clubs, he enhanced his reputation last season with a remarkable 35 goals and 20 assists in all competitions.
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Such form is yet to be replicated this season, but Nkunku has still contributed six strikes from 10 appearances in the Bundesliga and Champions League.
Before his double against struggling Bochum at the weekend, the former Paris Saint-Germain had not scored for club or country since August 27.
From Chelsea's perspective, they expect to part ways with at least one creative player over the coming transfer windows with less than two years remaining on the contracts of Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech and Callum Hudson-Odoi.
At a time when the latter is on loan at Bayer Leverkusen, the former duo have both been kept on the substitutes' bench for the majority of the time since early August.
Darren Plant
