Chelsea have bid 120m euros (£105.6m) for Benfica's Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez in a move that would make him the British transfer record signing.
So far there is no indication whether the Blues' offer, thought to include instalments, will be accepted.
But if the deal goes through, it would eclipse the £100m Manchester City paid Aston Villa for Jack Grealish in 2021.
Fernandez was named young player of the tournament during Argentina's World Cup triumph in Qatar.
Benfica have previously accused Chelsea of trying to unsettle the midfielder, with the Portuguese side's manager Roger Schmidt declaring their pursuit "closed".
However, it is not thought the Premier League club would have made a fresh offer without being given some indication it might be accepted.
Fernandez only joined Benfica from Argentinian side River Plate in August, for a reported £10m, and has scored four goals in 29 appearances for the Primeira Liga side.
He scored once during the World Cup, netting Argentina's second goal in their 2-0 group-stage win over Mexico.
Chelsea have signed Noni Madueke, Mykhailo Mudryk, David Datro Fofana, Andrey Santos, Benoit Badiashile and Malo Gusto on permanent deals in January and brought in Joao Felix on loan from Atletico Madrid.
It comes after a summer that saw them spend a Premier League record £270m - the second-highest summer spend by any club in the world after Real Madrid (£292m) in 2019.
Most expensive signings in British football
Player | Fee (year) | Club joining | Club leaving |
Jack Grealish | £100m (2021) | Manchester City | Aston Villa |
Romelu Lukaku | £97.5m (2021) | Chelsea | Inter Milan |
Paul Pogba | £89m (2016) | Manchester United | Juventus |
Antony | £82m (2022) | Manchester United | Ajax |
Harry Maguire | £80m (2019) | Manchester United | Leicester City |
Romelu Lukaku | £75m (2017) | Manchester United | Everton |
Virgil van Dijk | £75m (2017) | Liverpool | Southampton |
Jadon Sancho | £73m (2021) | Manchester United | Borussia Dortmund |
Analysis - Chelsea recruitment drive shows no sign of slowing
Having had a £55m bid for Moises Caicedo rejected by Brighton, now they are offering to play nearly twice as much for Fernandez.
It is clear how good the Argentina midfielder is now. Yet, at 22, he has so much potential and - don't forget - until last June, he had no experience of European football.
Given their fury at Chelsea's previous pursuit of the player earlier this month, it is hard to imagine they would have gone back without being given some indication their attempt to sign Fernandez will be successful.
Certainly, the player wants the move.
The big question, given issues have been raised about how previous deals have been structured, is what would be the basis on which the British record transfer would be funded - and what length of contract is being offered.
Latest Stories
-
Ghana to host Ghana-Cote d’Ivoire Cocoa Initiative Headquarters
6 mins -
Olympism365: IOC, WHO and PATH hold stakeholder engagement in Ghana
9 mins -
War can devastate nation, let’s be thankful for the peace we have – Kofi Sarpong
17 mins -
Ghanaian athletes in Côte D’voire for U-20 Championship
37 mins -
Made in Taadi must happen this year by hook or crook – Kofi Kinaata
50 mins -
Labour unions contemplate May 2 strike over unpaid Tier-2 pension dues
52 mins -
Sedina Tamakloe’s arrest: MoF, MASLOC board can’t be left off the hook – Analyst
1 hour -
Three JHS boys arrested for allegedly gang-defiling 15-year-old colleague
1 hour -
Today’s front pages: Friday, April 19, 2024
1 hour -
Magnus RexDanquah : ‘Breaking the Eight’ – The Greatest Scam Ever since Ackah Blay Miezah’s Gold Deposits claim
1 hour -
You cannot advise a fool – Kofi Kinaata
3 hours -
9-month-old baby dead after father bathed her and mother in acid
4 hours -
Female suspect detained for alleged baby theft in Walewale
4 hours -
Christopher Adu Boahen to be buried on April 25
4 hours -
Ghana will achieve universal access to electricity by end of the year – Finance Minister
4 hours