Chelsea and Manchester City are poised to go head-to-head for Ryan Betrand in January.
The Southampton star would help strengthen Antonio Conte’s options on the left.
And The Sun claim Chelsea are interested in swooping for the £30m full-back.
However, City also need cover with Benjamin Mendy out long-term.
Both the title chasers targeted Bertrand in the summer and Mauricio Pellegrino is bracing himself for bids.
Alvaro Morata has given Chelsea a timely boost by returning to first-team training.
The striker pulled up with a hamstring problem in the defeat to City at the end of last month.
But he has recovered quickly ahead of Chelsea’s Champions League clash with Roma on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Conte admits he is unsure over when Victor Moses will be back after pulling up in the Crystal Palace defeat.
“For sure Moses is out [ against Roma] because of his injury,” Conte revealed. “I don’t know if it’s serious, I hope not.
“[Danny] Drinkwater is still out. I hope to have Morata back for the game.”
Conte has confessed his dedication to football sometimes makes him hate the sport.
“I always felt I would do this, that this would be my life,” Conte told magazine GQ.
“But sometimes I hate it. Sometimes I hate this job, because sometimes you lose your life.
“If you want to do this job, to be a good coach, a great coach, you must sacrifice your life and sometimes I hate this.
“I have to think football 18 hours a day. Football is my life. I was born with a ball in the belly of my mother.”
