Chelsea have made an offer for Leicester midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall that has fallen short of the Foxes’ £40m valuation.
Talks are ongoing between the clubs, with an openness at Stamford Bridge to include various players in a potential swap or send them on loan to King Power Stadium.
Strikers Armando Broja and David Datro Fofana are reportedly being discussed as swap options but are reluctant to be involved in such a deal, while midfielder Cesare Casadei could also be offered.
Dewsbury-Hall, 25, has turned down the chance to move to Brighton but is open to joining Chelsea or staying at his boyhood club Leicester.
Moving to Chelsea would see the Englishman link up again with manager Enzo Maresca, who joined the Blues this summer after delivering Leicester’s Championship title and promotion to the Premier League last season.
Dewsbury-Hall scored 12 and assisted 14 goals in 44 Championship games last season and was named Leicester’s player of the season, and the players’ player of the season.
In an interview with BBC Sport this week, Dewsbury-Hall said: “I have been here since I was a kid. I love everything about the club. I grew up and managed to play in the first team. I am happy.
“I have never said I am actively wanting to leave. That sort of stuff is not up to me. You never know with football – the season is about to start, so we will see.”
The Foxes, who recently hired Steve Cooper to replace Maresca as manager, may need to sell academy graduate Dewsbury-Hall to satisfy Premier League profit and sustainability rules.
However, the situation is purely a regulatory issue as the East Midlands club remain well backed under the Thai ownership, led by Aiyawatt ‘Top’ Srivaddhanaprabha.