Chelsea are now willing to make an offer for a "very exciting" defender, who could be in line to join alongside Rennes star Jeremy Jacquet.
Blues lining up move for defender amid update on Jacquet pursuit
The Blues are hoping to wrap up a deal for Jacquet this week, having already agreed personal terms with the centre-back, but it has now emerged that he may not make a permanent move to Stamford Bridge until the end of the season.
With a £57m transfer fee being touted, a deal would be on the expensive side, and it would be disappointing to be without an additional centre-back until next season, given that Enzo Maresca has been keen to bring one in since the summer.
At just 20-years-old, Jacquet fits the bill as a typical BlueCo signing, and the west Londoners have now entered the picture to sign a Championship defender alongside the Frenchman.
Stade Rennes' Jeremy Jacquet in action with AS Monaco's George Ilenikhena
That is according to a report from The Daily Mail, which states Chelsea are willing to submit an offer of around £600k plus substantial bonuses for Sheffield Wednesday left back Yisa Alao, who is also being targeted by Premier League rivals Liverpool and Manchester United.
In fact, the Red Devils have already tabled a £400k bid for the Wednesday defender, and were at one stage considered the favourites, but the Blues have submitted a better offer, and they now await a response from the struggling tier side.
"Very impressive" Alao could be exciting long-term signing
Lauded as "very impressive" by reporter Alan Briggs, the 17-year-old has already managed to force his way into first-team contention at Sheffield Wednesday this season, making five appearances in all competitions.
The left-back actually started the Owls' last match, which was a 1-0 defeat against Portsmouth, and he looked solid prior to being withdrawn just after the hour mark, making two interceptions, recording a 90% pass-completion rate and completing one dribble.
Briggs is not alone in his admiration of the youngster either, with journalist Joe Crann suggesting he could go on to be a future star at the back end of last season.
Alao could be an exciting long-term signing for Chelsea, but bringing in yet another youngster shouldn't be the priority, with Jamie Redknapp urging BlueCo to bring in an older defender, saying: "They need experience. If they were to say ‘what would we change?’ I think it would be to sprinkle a bit of experience into the mix.
"You can’t get Thiago Silva’s because those are almost like unicorns, but someone with a bit of experience."