Chelsea are considering making a move for Wolfsburg centre-back Maxence Lacroix in the January transfer window, according to Calciomercato.com.

The Italian website reports that the Frenchman has been added to a three-man list of possible defensive reinforcements, along with Sevilla’s Jules Kounde and Fenerbahce’s Attila Szalai.

Lacroix was linked with a switch to Stamford Bridge last summer, when it was reported that Wolfsburg would be prepared to sell him for around €30m (£25m).

The 21-year-old has had a difficult first half of the season, with Wolfsburg currently sitting 13th in the Bundesliga table, following a run of five consecutive defeats. It’s a stark contrast to last campaign when they qualified for the Champions League.

It is, therefore, somewhat surprising that Chelsea are still interested in Lacroix. His ability to play in a back three, though, may be something that the Blues’ scouts have identified so that he could settle into Thomas Tuchel’s team quickly.