Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has reportedly been linked to Sampdoria's star striker Luis Muriel - a player touted as the 'next Ronaldo'.
The Italian has been tipped to spend big in the next two transfer windows, and Muriel is apparently on his hit-list.
The claim -made by Italian news outlet Calciomercatoweb-is likely to excite Chelsea fans because the player has drawn frequentcomparisons with Brazilian legend Ronaldo.
The 25-year-old has six goals and five assist to his name already in the current Serie A campaign, and has stood out for the mid-table side.
Any potential move for the striker by Contethough may come as a surprise, given the recent change in formation to a 3-4-3. Many have predictedthe former Italy managerwill raid the transfer market for defenders and midfielders, given the reputation and current form of main manDiego Costa upfront.
The Spanish striker is currently top of the scoring charts in the Premier League, and is keeping summer recruit Michy Batshuayi out of the first team, suggesting there may be no need for another striker. Batshuayi, who cost £30m from Marseille, has yet to start a league game for the Blues this season.
But it would appear that, despite this, Conte is keen to swoop for Muriel in the summer. The Colombian international was voted Serie A's 'Best Young Player' in 2012 and is reportedly versatile enough to play on the right, giving Conte another potential reason to swoop.
At around £24m, the player would more than likely represent fair value for money in the current transfer market. At 25 years old, the hitman is yet to reach his peak, and could well prove a success in the Premier League.