Chelsea are closely following the progress of 17-year-old Lille sensation Leny Yoro and could employ a similar negotiating tactic used in the deals to sign Christopher Nkunku and Malo Gusto, 90min understands.
The teenager became Lille's second-youngest debutant, overtaking Eden Hazard, when he made his first appearance towards the end of the 2021/22 campaign and he has broken through as a regular starter this season, playing 90 minutes in each of Lille's last seven Ligue 1 games.
Chelsea have pursued plenty of Ligue 1 players in recent years, signing centre-back duo Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi from Monaco as well as right-back Malo Gusto and midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu.
Sources have confirmed to 90min that Blues scouts have been thoroughly impressed with Yoro, who has firmly established himself as one of Europe's most in-demand young defenders.
Indeed, Paris Saint-Germain have tracked Yoro alongside Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, while 90min understands that both Liverpool and Manchester United are aware of the 17-year-old's progress but are yet to advance their interest.
Yoro's current contract expires in 2025 but the French side, who sit fourth in Ligue 1 at this point in the season, are keen to tie him down to an extension.
Should Chelsea opt to pursue a move for Yoro, they could look for a deal which would see the defender remain with his current employers until the end of the season - a strategy which aided their acquisitions of both Gusto and fellow Frenchman Christopher Nkunku this summer.
Chelsea's interest in Yoro comes as another Blues centre-back, Trevoh Chalobah, prepares to seek an exit in the January transfer window.
A decision will also have to be made on the future of 39-year-old Thiago Silva, whose contract is up at the end of the current campaign. The veteran Brazilian has been linked with a return to Brazil with Fluminense.
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This article was originally published on 90min as Chelsea plot Christopher Nkunku type deal for Lille sensation Leny Yoro.
