Chelsea are preparing a bid for Aston Villa star Christian Benteke as Jose Mourinho seeks a solution to the club's pursuit of a new striker.
The returning manager has been thwarted in his attempt to sign Edinson Cavani and has thus far been unable to convince Robert Lewandowski to choose English football over a future move to Bayern Munich.
Benteke fits the coach's preferred profile of a physically powerful striker capable of leading the attack alone and is more readily attainable as a result of Villa's fragile financial state.
At 22, the Belgium international is attracted by the prospect of playing Champions League football and competing for the domestic title after a first Premier League season in which he scored 19 times for a club fighting relegation.
