Chelsea is preparing to begin negotiations with Brighton regarding the potential transfer of midfielder Moises Caicedo, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Blues are confident that reaching personal terms with the 21-year-old will not be a problem, as Caicedo is already eager to make the move to Stamford Bridge.
During the January transfer window, Caicedo attracted interest from several Premier League clubs.
However, he opted to remain at the Amex Stadium and signed a new contract, with the understanding that he would be permitted to explore a transfer if interest in his services resurfaced during the summer.
Competition is expected to arrive from Manchester United, with Sky Sports reporting that the club are also interested in the Ecuador international.
Previous reports have indicated that it would take an offer of around £80 million ($101.1m) to persuade manager Roberto De Zerbi to part ways with his star midfielder, who played in 37 of 38 Premier League matches last season.