Chelsea have reportedly moved ahead of Manchester United and Arsenal in the race to sign Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets.
According to The Express, Blues manager Jose Mourinho is looking to ease the burden on Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas and has identified the Spain international as the man to bolster his options.
Busquets is thought to be considering his future at Barcelona and is rumoured to be unhappy with Luis Enrique's vision for the Blaugrana over the coming years.
However, Chelsea could still face competition for his signature from the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.
Reports also suggest that Barca are still hopeful of tying the defensive midfielder down to a new long-term deal.