Chelsea are showing interest in Atalanta's Teun Koopmeiners, a player who has been on Liverpool's radar and was considered by many to be heading to Anfield.
Recent reports from La Gazzetta Dello Sport (translated by Sport Witness) Liverpool are in pole position to sign the Dutchman, but Chelsea's late entry into the race could change the dynamics of the transfer market.
According to a new report from Give Me Sport, Chelsea have set their sights on the 25-year-old midfielder after he impressed scouts during Atalanta's recent Europa League quarter-final victory over Liverpool.
The Blues are prepared to make a £51 million bid to secure Koopmeiners' signature as they aim to outpace other clubs interested in him, particularly Juventus.
Chelsea's owner Todd Boehly has not hesitated to spend big on new talent since leading a £4.25 billion takeover in 2022, and manager Mauricio Pochettino has been equally ambitious, with Moises Caicedo's £115 million transfer from Brighton & Hove Albion becoming the most expensive acquisition in British football history.
The addition of Koopmeiners would further bolster Chelsea's midfield as they look to build a squad capable of challenging for major honors.
However, despite Chelsea's interest, transfer insider Dean Jones has cautioned that Juventus appear to be ahead in the race for Koopmeiners, suggesting that the Dutchman is 'more likely' to sign with the Serie A club if he decides to leave Atalanta during the summer transfer window.
Juventus is believed to have a more defined plan for integrating Koopmeiners into their system, making them a strong contender for his signature.
Jones said: "Teun Koopmeiners has being linked with Chelsea but, realistically, that has not gone far at this stage and I think there is some scope to believe that he is more likely to end up at Juventus.
"He is a great player, and it might well be the case that Chelsea do sound this out. But, at this point, I don’t think it has gone beyond general scouting, whereas I get the impression that Juventus are further along in imagining how he would fit with their system next season and how they could go about making a deal happen."
Nevertheless, Chelsea's scouting efforts and willingness to invest heavily in top talent indicate that they are serious about pursuing Koopmeiners.
While Juventus may be leading the chase, Chelsea's financial resources and ambitious approach to transfers could give them a fighting chance in the battle for the highly-rated midfielder.
It remains to be seen if Liverpool truly are in the driving seat to sign Koopmeiners but until they appoint a new manager, they won't be taking action in this regard.