Chelsea and Arsenal are both scouting Rangers centre-back Emmanuel Fernandez, according to reports.
Allnigeriasoccer.com claim that the two Premier League clubs are “tracking” the 24-year-old’s progress, after some attention-grabbing performances in the Scottish Premiership this season.
Fernandez only made the move north of the border back in July, with Rangers paying League One side Peterborough £3.5m for the defender’s services.
However, he has caught the eye in recent months, especially following the appointment of Danny Rohl in October.
Fernandez had not featured a great deal until the German’s arrival but he has started 14 of the last 16 league games.
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What do Chelsea fans need to know about the player?
Fernandez was born in London, but he has recently switched his allegiance to play for Nigeria at international level.
He came through the youth system of Brentford before moving to Gillingham. He spent a fair amount of his time with the Gills out on loan at non-league clubs before leaving for Ramsgate in the summer of 2020.
Within a year, Fernandez found his way back into league football with Peterborough, but it took him until last season to firmly establish himself as a regular starter, making 42 appearances in all competitions.
Fernandez is not the only centre-half being targeted
It has been claimed that Liam Rosenior’s side have revived their interest in Nottingham Forest’s Murillo. They have been linked with the Brazilian in past transfer windows, but his price tag was deemed too high.
There are suggestions that he could be let go for £50m this summer, which is a fee that the Blues would be prepared to pay. To make room for these new defenders, though, the club are reportedly willing to let several players, including Trevoh Chalobah, leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the season.
Read more about the Chelsea First Team Squad for 2025/26 here