Chelsea are in talks with Philippe Coutinho's agent as they look to sign the Barcelona forward ahead of Manchester United.
Blues boss Frank Lampard was left disappointed in January as the club failed to bolster his squad in the first window since their transfer ban was lifted.
Chelsea are set to make amends this summer, however, by handing Lampard around £150million to spend on new signings.
Brazilian playmaker Coutinho has emerged as a top target at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea are in talks with his agent over a summer move, according to Sport.
Coutinho impressed in the Premier League while at Liverpool - scoring 54 goals in 201 appearances for the Anfield club - before he moved to Barcelona in January 2018.
His dream move to the Nou Camp has not worked out, however, and the 27-year-old was sent on a season-long loan to Bayern Munich last summer.
Despite his recent struggles, both Chelsea and Manchester United have expressed interest in signing Coutinho at the end of the season.
But it is Chelsea who appear to be leading the race to secure a deal, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's United prioritising a move for England ace Jadon Sancho.
Last month, Chelsea hero Frank Leboeuf warned his former club against launching a move for Coutinho.
'Coutinho has been good with Liverpool, so far poor with Barcelona and Bayern Munich,' he told ESPN.
'I would have lots of question marks seeing him coming to Chelsea, to bring what? We have young players, very talented, who are very promising.
'We have good midfield players with [Mateo] Kovacic and Jorginho, to organise the game. I don't know where his place would be.
'If I was the chairman, if I was the coach, I would be very hesitant to pick him up.'
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