Chelsea have spied an opportunity to beat Barcelona to the signing of Gremio midfielder Arthur Melo.
The Mirror says the 21-year-old midfielder - who has a £44million release clause - is seen by the Premier League champion Blues as a potential long-term successor to Cesc Fabregas.
Barca lead the hunt for his services, but their pursuit has hit trouble.
Brazilians Gremio are angry that their prize asset was pictured wearing a Barcelona shirt and standing alongside the club representative Andre Cury last Friday.
Gremio have hit out at the pictures, labelling the Catalan giants' conduct 'unprecedented' and insisting they will not negotiate with them.
Chelsea have now entered the fray with boss Antonio Conte - already hunting reinforcements - keen to continue lowering the average age of his squad.
Source: tribalfootball.com