Chelsea are willing to shelve their interest in Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar to focus on bringing Josko Gvardiol to the club in the summer.
The Premier League side have been linked with the Brazilian in recent months but Sky Sports Germany suggest that there are no negotiations between the two parties and a deal is unlikely at the moment.
Instead, Graham Potter has turned his attention to Gvardiol, who was part of the RB Leipzig side that shipped seven goals to Manchester City in the Champions League this week.
The 21-year-old impressed for Croatia at the World Cup in Qatar and it was reported that Thomas Tuchel tried to bring him to Stamford Bridge last summer only for the German outfit to block a move.
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has claimed that the West Londoners are well in the hunt when it comes to signing the defensive powerhouse but will face a battle with other top clubs including Manchester City and Liverpool.
Croatia’s 19-cap international is contracted to Leipzig until 2027, meaning there is a possibility of a bidding war that could exceed the £80million offer reportedly tabled by Chelsea last summer.
With Thiago Silva and Kalidou Koulibaly both over 30, Potter is keen to invest in a long-term solution for his backline.
In other news
According to Football Insider, Manchester United are finally ready to make a move for Inter Milan defender and long-term target Denzel Dumfries.
Tottenham have no intention of selling England captain Harry Kane this summer and will instead focus on tying their talisman down to a new contract, say The Athletic.
90Min report that Brighton midfielder Alexis Mac Allister is attracting interest from multiple Premier League clubs, with a move to Liverpool or Newcastle on the cards.