Matthijs de Ligt is keen on the idea of working under Thomas Tuchel as Chelsea continue to track the Juventus defender.
Standard Sport understands the Stamford Bridge giants have made an approach for the 22-year-old, who has two years to run on his contract in Turin.
The Blues have emerged as favourites to sign De Ligt should he leave this summer, with the Old Lady hierarchy accepting his desire for a new challenge.
Chelsea are thought to be ready to include either Christian Pulisic or Timo Werner in their bid package for De Ligt, with talks with Juventus expected to continue.
De Ligt’s keenness on Chelsea is also thought to have softened Juventus’ stance on a fee, with the Italians aware they cannot hold out for the 38-cap centre-back’s £102million release clause.
Europe’s top clubs have tracked De Ligt ever since he broke through as a precociously talented teenager at Ajax.
Chelsea have long since had eyes on De Ligt, who joined Juventus in 2019, but the Blues are understood only to have acted on that interest since Todd Boehly’s takeover.
Chelsea’s new owners Boehly and Clearlake Capital are determined to reshape the Blues squad in manager Tuchel’s image this summer.
New chairman Boehly has thrust himself to the fore of transfer negotiations as interim sporting director after the regime change radically altered the Stamford Bridge hierarchy.
Chelsea need two centre-backs this summer, after Rudiger’s free-transfer switch to Real Madrid and Andreas Christensen’s Barcelona move.
