Ajax attacking midfielder Mohammed Kudus is “being actively looked at” by Chelsea as they consider an approach before the transfer window closes, according to Football.London.

The Blues want to bring in a keeper and a forward ahead of deadline day. They have wrapped up a deal for New England Revolution shot-stopper Djordje Petrovic but they are still mulling over who their second signing should be.

A formal enquiry was made for Kudus last month but Mauricio Pochettino’s side did not follow up their interest with a formal bid for the Ghanaian.

Instead, the likes of Brighton and West Ham have entered talks with Ajax in order to secure the player’s services. However, neither team have been able to match the forward’s asking price, which is believed to be in excess of £40m.

Arsenal are also known to be keen admirers of Kudus, but they are unlikely to have the funds required to match the reported valuation, leaving Chelsea as the firm favourites for his signature.

Chelsea are considering alternatives to Kudus

Football.London report that Lyon’s Bradley Barcola is still being watched by the Blues. Although Paris Saint-Germain remain frontrunners to sign the 20-year-old, negotiations have not progressed in recent days, so there is a chance that Mauricio Pochettino’s side could step in and hijack the deal.

Alternatively, Nottingham Forest forward Brennan Johnson could be considered. The main stumbling block in recruiting the winger, though, is his asking price, which currently stands at £50m. Neither Kudus nor Barcola are expected to cost that much.

On top of that, Johnson is being pursued by Tottenham, so Forest are unlikely to lower their demands for the Wales international due to interest from multiple teams.

Chelsea face Luton on Friday night. Find more about the Hatters and their journey from the non-league to the Premier League in this documentary.