Serbian outfit Cukaricki are close to completing the permanent signing of Chelsea midfielder Danilo Pantic, according to reports.
Pantic joined the Blues from FK Partizan back in 2015 for a fee of around £1.25million.
However, the 23-year-old's time at Stamford Bridge has failed to get off the ground, with the midfielder having been sent out on loan on five separate occasions.
After joining Hungarian club Fehervar FC on loan back in September, the Serbian was poised to stay with them until the end of the 2019/20 season.
However, his time in Hungary was cut short and he sealed a move to Cukaricki in his native Serbia in January, signing on loan.
Now, with his Chelsea career seemingly dead and buried without making a single appearance, it appears as though he is set to join Cukaricki on a permanent basis.
It is claimed that Chelsea are ready to trim the number of players they tend to send out on loan every season, even though Pantic is not expected to draw in a massive transfer fee.
Nevertheless, if the deal goes through and Pantic seals a move to Cukaricki on a permanent basis it will free up another space in Frank Lampard's squad.
And with Chelsea desperate to add another midfielder to their ranks this summer in the shape of Kai Havertz, allowing Pantic to go will free up another midfield spot for Havertz to slot directly into in terms of numbers.
football.london understands that Chelsea are still locked in talks with Leverkusen about the prospect of signing the Germany international this summer, despite the transfer fee proving to be a sticking point.
Nevertheless, Havertz is keen to seal a move to Stamford Bridge, with the 21-year-old attacking-midfielder very much eager to test himself in the Premier League.
Havertz was on target for Leverkusen during their Uefa Europa League defeat to Inter Milan on Monday evening, netting Leverkusen's only goal in a 2-1 defeat to Antonio Conte's troops in Germany.
Defeat to Inter meant that any hopes Leverkusen still had of competing in the Champions League next season are now over, with winning the Europa League the only route Leverkusen still had to secure a spot in European football's elite club competition next term.
