Chelsea eye cut-price move for Real Madrid defender Rafa Marin

Chelsea are considering a move for highly-rated Real Madrid defender Rafa Marin, who could be available for a knockdown price this summer.

Marin, a powerful centre-back, has 18 months remaining on his deal in Spain and has caught the attention of a number of leading clubs in Europe.

Juventus and RB Leipzig are also thought to be monitoring Marin's situation and could rival Chelsea for the 20-year-old's signature.

Marin is yet to make his senior debut for Real but has starred for Real Madrid Castilla, the club's reserve team, this season. He has represented Spain at youth level.

If Real are unable to convince Marin to sign a new contract, they are expected to cash in on the player in the summer transfer window rather than risk losing him for free in 2024.

A key part of the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership's strategy at Chelsea is to buy and develop leading young talents from across the world.

Since their takeover last year, the new owners have already invested considerable sums into the pursuit of young players with long-term potential.

Midfielders Carney Chukwuemeka, Cesare Casadei and Andrey Santos, goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina and striker David Fofana have all joined the club in recent months, for a combined cost of around £70 million. Chelsea also signed Omari Hutchinson, a teenage winger, from Arsenal in the summer.

A January move for Marin, who Chelsea are understood to have scouted extensively, is regarded as unlikely but not impossible, and sources in Spain believe the defender could cost between £5m and £10m.

Chelsea's push to sign young players is tied with their aim of creating a multi-club model similar to the Red Bull football group.

Speaking last year, Boehly said: “The challenge Chelsea has, when you have 18, 19, 20-year-old stars, you can loan them out to clubs but you hand their development to someone else.

“Our goal is to ensure we show pathways for our young stars to get on to the Chelsea pitch — while getting them real game time. The way to do that is through another club in a really competitive league in Europe.”