Antonio Conte has made Virgil van Dijk one of his priority summer signings.
According to a report in The Mirror Chelsea will set aside £60m to sign the Southampton defender in the summer.
Despite being out of action since January with an ankle injury van Dijk is expected to be on the move in the summer with the fee likely to be a world record for a defender.
The Dutchman has been in outstanding form since moving from Celtic in August 2015 and comes with experience of playing in the Europa League, Champions League and full international level.
Manchester City are also expected to bid for van Dijk with Inter Milan and Paris St Germain also watching developments.
Conte wants to build from a position of strength, with Chelsea on course for the double their manager wants to have a team to defend those trophies next season and make an impact in the Champions League.