Chelsea have reportedly been offered the chance to sign Atletico Madrid winger Thomas Lemar this month.
The Spanish outfit are understood to be willing to let Lemar leave the Wanda Metropolitano during the ongoing window, having been disappointing with his impact since his £51m move from Monaco in 2018.
The 24-year-old has made only nine La Liga starts so far this season and is yet to open his account for the campaign, with his most recent goal for the club coming in April.
Atletico would be willing to make a slight loss if they are able to offload Lemar this month, putting a £50m asking price on his head amid speculation that Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are also interested.
However, The Telegraph reports that Spurs, Arsenal and Chelsea would all prefer an initial loan deal for a fee of £5m.
Arsenal are thought to have taken a step back in the race for the France international, while Chelsea have reportedly now moved ahead of Spurs after making a loan offer.
The Blues are in the market for a new winger with uncertainty surrounding the futures of Willian and Pedro and see Lemar as a potential alternative to £80m-rated Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha and Borussia Dortmund starlet Jadon Sancho, who is unlikely to leave this month.
Chelsea boss Frank Lampard reportedly has £150m to spend this month after the club were banned from bringing any new faces in during the summer, when they sold Eden Hazard to Real Madrid.
Barney Corkhill
