West London rivals Chelsea and Brentford could reportedly go head-to-head for the services of 19-year-old Charlton Athletic attacker Miles Leaburn.
The 6ft 5in centre-forward is the son of revered former Addicks striker Carl Leaburn and is starting to follow in his father's footsteps under Michael Appleton.
The 2003-born marksman - who turns 20 next month - has already made a half-century of appearances for Charlton, registering 19 goals and four assists in the process.
Leaburn managed a respectable 12 goals in 35 League One appearances during his breakthrough campaign last season, while he has scored six times in 10 matches so far this season across the third tier and EFL Trophy.
While primarily a number nine, Leaburn has also been deployed on the right wing by the Addicks, who have him under contract until the end of the 2024-25 campaign.
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According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea are among the clubs to have taken notice of the teenager's exploits at The Valley, having previously hosted him in their youth academy before his exit in 2019.
Fellow Premier League outfit Brentford are also keeping a close eye on Leaburn's displays, but Charlton still feel that they have no need to offload the Englishman, in spite of the fact that he could enter the final year of his contract in 2024.
An unnamed Bundesliga club reportedly approached Charlton with a £3m offer for Leaburn in the summer, and while the League One side turned down their advances, it remains to be seen how they would respond to a more lucrative bid.
Chelsea's intention to recruit another striker in the January transfer window is no secret, despite bringing Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson and Deivid Washington to the club over the summer.
Nkunku is still waiting for his first competitive appearance due to a severe knee injury, though, while Jackson has been hit-and-miss during his earliest days as a Chelsea player, only scoring twice in the Premier League thus far.
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After a period of extortionate summer spending, the Blues have been tipped to splash the cash once again over the winter, with moves for Napoli's Victor Osimhen and Brentford's Ivan Toney being mooted.
A deal for Toney is seen as more realistic, as Napoli have not given up hope of agreeing a new contract with Osimhen, who is also facing a spell on the sidelines with a hamstring issue sustained during the international break.
Toney has now served over half of his eight-month ban and will be eligible to return in mid-January, where both Arsenal and Chelsea are expected to battle for his signature in a deal that could potentially come to around £65m.
Brentford - whose boss Thomas Frank has conceded that Toney's exit may be inevitable - could try to lure Leaburn to the Gtech Community Stadium as Toney's successor, but the Bees have also been credited with an interest in ex-Blue and current Roma striker Tammy Abraham.
Amid their off-field transfer battle, Chelsea and Brentford will lock horns on the pitch for Saturday's Premier League West London derby in the lunchtime kickoff.
Ben Knapton
