According to the Sun via French outlet Foot Mercato, Chelsea are interested in signing Monaco left-back Fode Ballo-Toure.
The Sun hint that the 23-year-old former France Under-21s international could be an alternative option to Leicester star Ben Chilwell for the Blues.
The report states that the Foxes value Chilwell at around £60m, should the Blues really part with this kind of cash for the England international in the next transfer window?
Left-back is one of Chelsea’s problem areas, with Marcos Alonso and Emerson Palmieri both looking unconvincing for the Blues lately.
Ballo-Toure, who struggled at Monaco under Thierry Henry and Leonardo Jardim, has performed well since Roberto Moreno became boss just before the turn of the year.
Ballo-Toure fits the mould of the modern full-back with his strong athletic attributes, ability on the ball and capability of getting up and down the flank.
The ace fits the wing-back role perfectly, he’s even featured as a left midfielder on seven occasions this season.
Frank Lampard has often experimented with a formation consisting of three central defenders and two wing-backs, Ballo-Toure would be an ideal fit for this kind of system.
The PSG academy graduate is also reportedly attracting the interest of Bundesliga outfits RB Leipzig and Schalke.
Ballo-Toure has made 25 appearances across all competitions this season, with the ace playing at left-midfield for seven of these outings.
Is a talent like Ballo-Toure a safer option when compared to someone like Chilwell who is expected to command a massive fee?