Chelsea are keen to sign Malang Sarr, according to reports.
The 21-year-old defender, who has also been linked with a move to Arsenal, is available on a free transfer after his contract with Ligue 1 outfit Nice expired earlier in the summer.
Sky Sports claim the Blues are in talks to sign the France U21 international as head coach Frank Lampard looks to bolster his defensive options ahead of the 2020/21 season.
However, the report also states that if Chelsea are successful in their attempts to sign Sarr they plan to send him out on loan.
That decision could turn out to be a mistake as former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira, who is now manager of Nice and worked with Sarr, once hailed the defender's leadership qualities.
"He has the personality of a leader," Vieira told Sport365 in 2019.
"He answers simply and clearly. My role, with my staff, is to continue to make it progress, and to exchange with him so that he knows what the very high level is.
"We’ve seen it in the last few games, today Malang is better than it has been."
Interestingly, Sarr is not the only defender on Chelsea's radar.
A £50m move for left-back Ben Chilwell is inching closer following a breakthrough with Leicester City on Friday evening and the Blues are also being linked with Paris Saint-Germain captain Thiago Silva.
The veteran Brazilian centre-back is set to depart the French champions after the club's Champions League final on Sunday, and according to The Telegraph, Chelsea have been offered the chance to sign him on a free transfer.
And the general consensus from PSG fans on Reddit is that the defender would indeed be a smart signing.
One wrote: "He's plenty fast, and has world class positioning and anticipation. The man learned from Nesta himself. I honestly think he could do another year for us and not be out of his depth.
"It's not his fault that Marquinhos and Kimpembe are both starter quality. Personally, I think he's a top 10-15 defender for any possession-focused team that plays out the back."
Another posted: "I think he would be a great addition to your team for at least one season. He has the leadership and experience to fix your defence."
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