Fiorentina winger Federico Chiesa was favouring a move to Chelsea before the London club were hit with a transfer ban, according to reports in the UK.

The 21-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge in recent weeks, and the midfielder was said to be keen on working with fellow Italian Maurizio Sarri.

However, FIFA’s decision to keep the two-window ban in place during Chelsea’s appeal means the Blues won’t be able to sign the winger in the summer.

Instead, Tottenham are now the favourites to snap up Chiesa. The Serie A star is valued at €80m (£69m) by his club, with the likes of Inter, Juventus and AC Milan also in the mix.

The Italian has had a breakthrough season with Fiorentina, having scored 11 goals and contributed eight assists in 30 appearances.

Chiesa is also a regular at international level, having started the last five matches for Italy under manager Roberto Mancini.