Chelsea are among a number of clubs interested in Stuttgart left-back Borna Sosa but a January deal could prove difficult even for the London club, according to Sky Germany.
Earlier, Fabrizio Romano claimed that the Blues hit a wall in their plans to recall Emerson Palmieri from Lyon despite offering to pay compensation.
Fortunately for Chelsea, they still have plenty of time to shift their attention to other potential replacements for Ben Chilwell who is out for the season.
Among these alternatives, according to Sky Germany, is Stuttgart defender Sosa.
The 24-year-old has reportedly attracted attention from numerous clubs, including Chelsea, Inter Milan, and earlier Aston Villa. The latter eventually opted to sign Lucas Digne from Everton.
The report, however, also mentioned that Stuttgart is looking for a transfer fee of around €30million (£25m) for Sosa.
It remains unclear whether Chelsea or Inter would be prepared to meet the asking price in a January transfer window.
Sosa an experienced wing-back but price tag could prove problematic for Chelsea
Sosa has one goal and three assists from 15 Bundesliga appearances this season.
His predominantly playing as a left wing-back in a three-man defence at Stuttgart also makes him an arguably ideal target for both Chelsea and Inter.
Similar to Marcos Alonso, the Croatian is also an excellent set-piece taker and crosser.
As Sky Germany suggested, Stuttgart’s reported demands could be a stumbling block, however.
Chelsea currently need a short-term replacement for Chilwell and, ideally, they would want to strike a loan deal, perhaps with an option to buy at the end of the season.
Keep up to date with all the latest Chelsea news and opinion by following The Chelsea Chronicle’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.