Chelsea have been keeping a close eye on Atalanta's 25-year-old left-back Robin Gosens as part of their search for a new left-back.
The futures of current options Marcos Alonso and Emerson are uncertain at best, with neither player really making a positive impact on Frank Lampard's squad this season. Captain César Azpilicueta has often been deployed out of position ahead of the pair, so finding a natural left-back is part of Chelsea's summer plans.
Club scouts have been monitoring a number of potential options, and Nicolò Schira, in conjunction with 90min, can confirm Gosens has been one of those in Chelsea's sights.
The Blues are not alone in their pursuit of Gosens, with both Inter and Lyon also tracking the German. The French side saw a €25m bid knocked back in January and are expected to come back with a fresh offer in the summer. Atalanta are looking for closer to €30m.
I Nerazzurri have made a point of ensuring that they are not caught out by player departures in recent years and have already started taking steps to replace Gosens.
21-year-old Lennart Czyborra arrived at the club in January, and club officials have already made contact with the representatives of Wolfsburg's Paulo Otávio in an attempt to further strengthen their back line.
That could open the door for Chelsea, who are particularly keen to part ways with Emerson this summer.
The 25-year-old has been linked with both Juventus and Inter after losing his place in Lampard's squad, and given he still has some value, Chelsea are ready to cut ties now while he has two years remaining on his contract.
Leicester City's Ben Chilwell would be the ideal replacement, although another source has confirmed to 90min that Chelsea are exploring a number of alternatives as they are aware Leicester will likely demand a huge fee.
In an attempt to save money for their pursuits of a new striker and centre-back, Chelsea have already looked at Porto's Alex Telles, while cheaper options include Aston Villa's Matt Targett and Basel's Blás Riveros. Gosens' name has been added to the list.
Gosens, who can operate both as a left-back and a wing-back, had scored eight goals and contributed five assists for Atalanta before the 2019/20 football was put on hold, helping to turn his club into one of the most exciting sides in Europe.
Source : 90min