Chelsea could launch an audacious bid to sign Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain, hijacking Liverpool's attempts to sign the French striker.
The Kylian Mbappe situation is quickly descending into farce, with player and club effectively declaring war on each other.
PSG are desperate to sell their 24-year-old star after he sent a letter to club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi outlining his intention to leave the club next summer when his contract expires.
The French giants do not want to lose Mbappe for nothing, so after Mbappe refused to sign an extension, they want to sell him this summer.
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Last week PSG accepted a world-record offer of £258m from Al Hilal, but Mbappe refused to speak to the Saudi Pro League club despite being offered a reported £602m contract.
PSG are convinced that Mbappe has agreed to join Real Madrid as a free agent in 2024, and are now looking for ways to offload the player this summer while earning some sort of fee.
It's been reported that Liverpool are considering a loan plus cash move for Mbappe, but now it appears that Chelsea could get in on the action.
Reports are claiming that Al-Khelaifi has held direct discussions with Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly over a transfer to the London club.
PSG have reportedly encouraged Chelsea to make an offer for Mbappe, who was excluded from his club's pre-season tour.
PSG spent £166m on Mbappe in 2018 when he made a permanent switch from Monaco, and just a year ago he signed a new two-year contract at the club worth a reported £80m per season.
Having already splashed some serious cash on Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson this summer, and with intentions to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton, it's unclear if Chelsea would be able to put together a suitable offer for Mbappe.
However, as the transfer window progresses and PSG and Mbappe stay locked in a stand-off, then the Ligue 1 side might be forced to accept any offer they can get to avoid losing Mbappe on a free.
One thing seems clear though - wherever Mbappe plays his football this season, he seems destined to join Real Madrid in 2024.
Topics: Kylian Mbappe, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Liverpool, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Pro League, Todd Boehly
Alex Brotherton