Chelsea are reportedly looking to sign Real Madrid defender Pepe.
The 32-year-old is out of contract at the end of next season, which might tempt Real to cash in before the summer of 2016.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho worked with the Portuguese international during his spell as Real boss, and is said to value the player's ability to play both in central defence and as a defensive midfielder.
According to the Sunday Mirror, new Real boss Rafa Benitez would prefer to put his faith in Raphael Varane instead of Pepe, which has alerted Chelsea.
Pepe has made 208 appearances for Real since joining them from Porto in 2007.
Written by
Steven Toplis
Steven Toplis
