Chelsea are exploring a late move to sign Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez.
The West Londoners have opened talks with the player’s camp to gauge his interest in a potential Premier League transfer. The 22-year-old started just 12 La Liga games last season and has been linked with an exit this summer.
According to The Athletic, Chelsea are weighing up an approach for Lopez to boost their depleted midfield stocks.
Chelsea have seen Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Carney Chukwuemeka and Lesley Ugochukwu all depart on permanent deals, while the more advanced Christopher Nkunku is also expected to leave.
Lopez has impressed with his goalscoring from midfield, scoring six times and providing five assists in La Liga despite limited football last season.
Chelsea are expected to be active in the closing stages of the transfer window, with the deadline for Premier League clubs 7pm next Monday.
In addition to Lopez, negotiations are ongoing over RB Leipzig midfielder Xavi Simons and Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho.
Incomings are likely to hinge on whether Chelsea can offload several players, including Nkunku, Tyrique George, Axel Disasi and Nicolas Jackson.
Read – The 10 youngest goalscorers in Premier League history
See more – The loudest recorded crowd noises in football stadiums as Everton set new record