Chelsea have agreed personal terms with Zenit St Petersburg midfielder Leandro Paredes, according to the Mirror.

However, it is believed the Blues have yet to agree a transfer fee with his club. Zenit are said to be demanding £36m for the 24-year-old, but after having an initial £26.8m knocked back, Chelsea have only decided to increase their offer to £31.2m so far.

Paredes is reportedly determined to join the Blues, so much so that Zenit fear that he could go on strike if he doesn’t get his way.

The Russian club are said to be looking for a replacement for the Argentinan midfielder before allowing him to leave the club this month.

Paredes has been a key player for Zenit since he joined from Roma for £21m in July 2017. He has made 61 appearances in all competitions, scoring ten goals and providing 15 assists during his 18 months with the Russian Premier League outfit.