Chelsea are stepping up their interest in Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, according to Goal‘s Blues correspondent Nizaar Kinsella.

The Frenchman, who now has seven caps for his country at senior level, has been on the London club’s radar for the best part of a year and they are now making background checks ahead of a “possible bid” at the end of the season.

Kinsella claims that Chelsea are “running in depth scouting” on Tchouameni, looking into his character and personal life to see if he would be a good fit for the European champions.

The Blues have still not decided on whether the 21-year-old is the club’s number one priority, though, with West Ham’s Declan Rice also being considered.

Of course, the big difference between Tchouameni and Rice is the price tag. While the France international is reportedly valued at around €50m (£42m), Rice is expected to fetch a fee in the region of £100m.