Chelsea have held fresh talks with the representatives of Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia ahead of the January transfer window, according to reports.
Manchester City only sold the Belgian to the Saints for £14m in the summer but Chelsea are believed to be determined to recruit the teenager. The Citizens do, though, have a trump card up their sleeve if they want to bring him back to the Etihad.
Their agreement with Southampton means that they can re-sign Lavia for £40m in January or any future transfer window, and the Premier League champions will certainly be keeping an eye on developments.
Manager Pep Guardiola will likely prioritise a move for a midfielder if captain Ilkay Gundogan does leave when his contract expires in June.
Whether Lavia will feature on his list of targets, though, it remains to be seen. City have been linked with an approach for Jude Bellingham and funds could be devoted to snapping up the Borussia Dortmund star instead.