Chelsea are in advanced talks with Manchester City over a deal to bring Nathan Ake back to Stamford Bridge, according to reports.
The Blues are in need of defensive reinforcements after the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen on free transfers.
Juventus' Matthijs de Ligt is a priority target for the west London club, but the defender is said to have already verbally agreed a move to Bayern Munich.
With a £45million deal for Raheem Sterling set to be completed after the winger agreed terms of a £300,000-a-week contract, Chelsea are now aiming to re-sign his City teammate.
Netherlands international Ake, who spent seven years on the books at Stamford Bridge, is struggling for regular playing time at the Etihad Stadium and wants more minutes ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
According to The Times, talks between Chelsea and City over a deal for the centre-back have accelerated in recent days.
No deal has been agreed as of yet, but discussions over a transfer fee and personal terms have taken place.
Previous reports have suggested it would take a fee in excess of £50m for City to consider recruiting a new defender to replace Ake.
The Blues are also considering Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde, while Leeds United's Raphinha is another transfer target.
Chelsea have agreed a £55m deal with Leeds for Raphinha, but the player's preference is to join Barcelona.
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