Premier League title race: Man City stretch lead at top
Chelsea have a free run at Everton left-back Lucas Digne this month, with the Spaniard expected to snub Newcastle United. Digne will leave Goodison Park before the January transfer deadline after falling out of favour with Rafa Benitez, and there is Premier League interest in his services.
The 28-year-old hasn't featured for Everton since the 4-1 Merseyside derby home humiliation against Liverpool on December 1.
His future became clear after Benitez sanctioned the £17million signing of Dynamo Kyiv left-back Vitaliy Mykolenko on the first day of the transfer window.
But despite being isolated at Everton, Digne isn't short of options that currently pose as upgrades in terms of Premier League positioning.
He has been linked with Chelsea, Newcastle, and West Ham United, and the former could be in pole position.
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Blues head coach Thomas Tuchel will want reinforcements at left-back, with Marcos Alonso currently his only natural first-team option.
Ben Chilwell could be sidelined for the rest of the season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, so Tuchel is short on personnel.
He has trialled underwhelming loanee Saul Niguez in the position, as well as Reece James, but a left-footer who can naturally maraud the flank is crucial to the German's system.
Digne's Chelsea arrival would prompt questions over who would regularly start after Chilwell returns to action, but with Alonso now 31, he could potentially act as his replacement beyond the summer.
Ben Chilwell is likely out for the rest of the season. (Image: GETTY)