Chelsea are closing on a deal worth £36million for PSV Eindhoven winger Noni Madueke.
Chelsea made their opening offer of £26.5m last week which was rejected by the Dutch side.
They then diverted from negotiations to tie up the signing of Mykhaylo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk but returned to talks for Madueke at the start of the week and are now finalising details on fee going up to £36m for the England U21 international winger.
Chelsea have been in talks with PSV as they attempt to persuade the Dutch side to sell the England under-21 winger.
Madueke has established himself at senior level and as one of Europe’s most promising young wide players since leaving Tottenham aged 16 to join PSV in 2018.
He is well known to Chelsea head coach Graham Potter and the recruitment staff who have followed him from Brighton – specialist Kyle Macaulay and now Stamford Bridge director of global talent and transfers Paul Winstanley – as Madueke was on their radar during the summer when they were still at the Amex.
Chelsea’s newly-appointed technical director Christopher Vivell has also shown interest in Madueke, 20, previously when he was at RB Leipzig.
Having already sold Cody Gakpo to Liverpool this month PSV do not want to part with Madueke, who is fit again after an ankle injury that has disrupted his season so far.
Though PSV boss Ruud van Nistelrooy admitted his concern about their prospects of retaining another one of their stars if a big enough offer is made, with his club thought to value Madueke at around £35m.
Chelsea haven’t finished there as they remain keen to add a midfielder with Brighton’s Moises Caicedo among their top targets.