Chelsea have matched Paris Saint-Germain’s £56.1m (€60m) offer for Inter Milan wing-back Achraf Hakimi.
Sky in Italy are reporting that Inter may well be more open to Chelsea’s proposal because of the Italian club’s interest in Emerson Palmieri and Andreas Christensen.
Inter would like Palmieri on loan while Chelsea would prefer the move to be permanent.
Chelsea’s offer for Hakimi appears still to be some way short of Inter’s asking price. They are understood to value the Morocco full-back at £68.8m (€80m).
Last season, Hakimi scored seven goals and registered 10 assists in Serie A.
He was signed by Inter from Real Madrid last summer for a fee of around £40m after establishing himself on the European stage on loan at Borussia Dortmund for two seasons.
Hakimi, who can also play as a full-back on either flank in a conventional four-man defence, would fit straight into Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel’s five-at-the-back system as a wing-back.
AC Milan set to sign Tomori from Chelsea for £25m
Fikayo Tomori made 22 appearances for AC Milan in the 2020/21 season
AC Milan will exercise the option to sign Chelsea defender Fikayo Tomori on a permanent deal this summer for £25m.
Tomori, 23, joined AC Milan on an initial six-month loan in January and helped the club secure a second-placed finish and a return to the Champions League after a seven-year absence.
Milan held talks with Chelsea in recent days in an attempt to lower the agreed £25m fee but the Premier League club refused, according to Sky in Italy.
Milan, managed by Stefano Pioli, are expected to finalise the paperwork and announce the transfer next week.