Chelsea have now opened talks with the representatives of Barcelona star Fermin Lopez, which comes as a shock amid their long-winded pursuit of RB Leipzig's Xavi Simons.
Enzo Maresca's side, amid their desperate bid to offload the likes of Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku to make room in their squad, opened negotiations over signing Simons weeks ago.
RB Leipzig's Xavi Simons reacts after the match
RB Leipzig's Xavi Simons reacts after the match
Negotiations for the Dutchman have been ongoing ever since, and despite some reports to the contrary, a full agreement with Leipzig still hasn't been reached.
Just five days remain until the transfer window shuts on September 1, and Maresca was believed to be prioritising deals for both Man United winger Alejandro Garnacho and the 22-year-old before the deadline.
However, reports that Barca's Lopez has emerged as a concrete target during this final stretch have prompted many questions.
FC Barcelona's Pau Cubarsi, Jules Kounde and Fermin Lopez celebrates their first goal scored by Raphinha
FC Barcelona's Pau Cubarsi, Jules Kounde and Fermin Lopez celebrates their first goal scored by Raphinha
The Spaniard, who has become a star under Hansi Flick, has been approached by Chelsea as the Blues reach out to his camp, according to multiple reliable sources, with Chelsea now eyeing a late move for Lopez who'd come as an alternative to Simons.
The 22-year-old made 46 appearances in all competitions last term - scoring eight goals and bagging 10 assists - including a brace of goal contributions against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
His quality is pretty much undeniable, as is the notion that he'd provide Maresca with a serious playmaking upgrade who's also capable of playing on the left-wing.
Chelsea's plan for Xavi Simons after opening talks with Fermin Lopez
Some on-lookers may assume from Chelsea's contact that they are moving on to Lopez after contacting his entourage, but that apparently isn't the case.
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According to journalist Simon Phillips, Chelsea are attempting to put pressure on Leipzig to sell Simons by approaching Lopez, with the Bundesliga sensation very much still their priority right now.
"Chelsea do have an interest in Fermin Lopez of Barcelona and they could easily divert to him as a transfer target this week," said Phillips, via his Substack.
"However, as of right now, Xavi Simons is still the priority target for that position. Chelsea are still working on getting that deal done. We heard yesterday from one of our sources that Chelsea showing an interest and speaking to the agent of Lopez is to put pressure on the Simons deal.
"It’s not a smokescreen as such, because Chelsea have liked Lopez for a while. But as of right now, Simons is the one they want to get still. It can change fast and Chelsea could push more for Lopez should they decide to do that if Simons is not doable for whatever reason - but right now that has not happened."
If Chelsea do turn their attentions fully towards Lopez, the asking price is believed to be around £60 million.