Juventus are reportedly happy to accept Chelsea forward Timo Werner in part-exchange for defender Matthijs de Ligt.
The Italian giants began the summer looking to extend the contract of De Ligt past the end of 2024, particularly with Giorgio Chiellini having already departed the club.
However, CEO Maurizio Arrivabene suggested earlier this week that Juventus were open to selling players who did not want to remain in Turin.
That was perceived as a boost to Chelsea at a time when head coach Thomas Tuchel is eager to add two new centre-backs to his squad to replace Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger.
Nevertheless, reaching an agreement with Juventus is not deemed to be a foregone conclusion given the size of De Ligt's release clause and his club's reluctance to accept any kind of a cut-price fee.
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Speculation persists that Chelsea have offered Juventus the choice of Werner or Christian Pulisic as they also look to make space for new arrivals.
According to the Daily Mail, Juventus are happy to sign the former, providing that a proposal can be agreed between the relevant parties.
As it stands, it appears that the Premier League outfit have already failed with an offer of £34.4m plus Werner, but negotiations are expected to continue over the coming days.
The report suggests that De Ligt is keen to make the switch to West London, rather than spend the next phase of his career in Turin.
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Last month, the Netherlands international acknowledged that discussions were taking place regarding his future, saying: "Talks are being held and, when the time comes, I will decide whether I will extend or whether I want to look elsewhere."
The 22-year-old has made a total of 117 appearances for Juventus since his arrival from Ajax in 2019, when he cost a fee of £67.5m.
Werner has spent a mixed two years at Stamford Bridge, contributing just 10 goals and 13 assists during 56 appearances in the Premier League.
However, a further 21 contributions have come from 33 outings in other competitions, the 26-year-old playing an important role in Chelsea's Champions League success in 2021.
Nevertheless, even with three years remaining on his contract, it appears that he is close to making his exit from Stamford Bridge.
Darren Plant
