Chelsea are on the verge of meeting the £36.6m release clause in Valencia left-back Jose Gaya’s contract, according to Spanish outlet Fichajes.
Gaya, 20, only put pen to paper on a new long-term deal earlier with Valencia this year to warden off circling interest from Real Madrid.
However, it now appears Jose Mourinho has moved right to the front of the queue for the highly rated defender as he looks to bolster his porous defence.
The Premier League champions have made their worst start to a league campaign since 1998 after winning just one of their opening five matches.
The Spanish full-back made more than 30 appearances in La Liga last season and had a direct hand in 7 goals (1 goal + 6 assists) for Valencia in that period.
For more stats on Jose Gaya, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
