Chelsea face a battle to keep hold of star defender Thiago Silva with an unnamed club from the Middle East reportedly making a lucrative offer to the Brazilian.
Silva will become a free agent at the end of the season but talks had appeared to have been progressing with promise between the Blues and the player over a year's extension.
Despite being 36, the centre-back has become a crucial cog in Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea machine and they will not want to lose him when they feel he still has something to offer.
But negotiations now look like they could be thrown into disarray.
Speaking on his Transfer Window Podcast, journalist Ian McGarry spoke of the offer but did admit that while it would be incredibly attractive, Silva remains an ambitious player.
"It is our information that we have obtained here at the Transfer Window that Thiago Silva has a significant financial offer to continue his career in the Middle East," he said.
"Which of course in terms of money would be attractive because it would be tax-free and the leagues of course are not overly competitive.
"But Silva himself is extremely competitive."
His importance to Chelsea was highlighted by former player Joe Cole earlier in January after the Blues were held to a thrilling 3-3 draw in the Champions League against Zenit St. Petersburg.
Silva did not play in the game and the BT Sport pundit insisted that the absence of the Brazilian, and Antonio Rudiger, will have played a big part in 'upsetting' the rhythm of the side.
"You take Rudiger and Thiago Silva – two leaders – out of the team and they look disjointed," Cole said at the start of December.
“We haven’t seen this from a Thiago Silva side. You take the leaders out of the team and these things can happen.
“When one of the two don’t play it generally upsets the team.”
If losing Silva for individual matches can affect the Blues so much, replacing him on a long-term basis would surely be a huge task for the club.
