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Chelsea want Raheem Sterling to be the first marquee signing of the new era at Stamford Bridge under Todd Boehly.
Thomas Tuchel has identified Sterling as one of his top transfer targets as Chelsea decide which attacking players to move for as Romelu Lukaku closes in on a return to Inter Milan on loan.
Sterling only has 12 months left on his contract at Manchester City and Pep Guardiola is prepared to sell the England international this summer.
City could demand up to £60million for Sterling but Chelsea are increasingly confident of securing a deal for the 27-year-old.
Sterling is said to be keen on the idea of returning to London.
Chelsea struggled for goals last season and Tuchel sees Sterling, who can play out wide and through the middle, as a player who could help fill the void left by Lukaku.
Sterling has scored 131 goals in 339 appearances in seven years at City and won four Premier League titles, one FA Cup and three League Cups.
But the signings of Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez mean competition will be fierce at the Etihad next season and Sterling is keen to be playing regularly going into the World Cup.
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New Chelsea owner Boehly has made it clear he wants to build on the unprecedented success of the past two decades under Roman Abramovich at Stamford Bridge.
Boehly warned last week that the club will not be able to buy players at any price because “Financial Fair Play is starting to get some teeth”.
But Tuchel is set to have a transfer budget of around £200m this summer and Boehly plans to continue the investment that has seen some of the best players in the world head to Chelsea during the Abramovich years.