Chelsea will have to pay up to £40 million if they want to sign Alex Telles from Porto.
The West London club have tried to lure him several times to the Premier League in the past, but are now ready to step up their interest. That follows reports that Marcos Alonso wants to return to Italy, with Inter Milan a potential destination for the Spaniard.
Telles Is under contract with the Portuguese side until 2021, but has refused a new deal with the club, so they are prepared to cash in on him this summer to avoid losing him for free the following year. His current contract contains a £40 million release clause, and Porto are hoping that a club will be willing to meet this to secure his signature when the transfer window opens again.
Chelsea are likely to face competition for Telles as well, with reports that Leicester City scouts have also travelled to Portugal to watch him recently.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.