Chelsea have made enquiries about signing Lazio left-back Nuno Tavares, according to reports in Italian media.

Il Messaggero (via La Lazio Siamo Noi) have claimed that the Blues, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus have all taken a keen interest in the Portuguese international.

Tavares had spent last season on loan at Lazio from Arsenal before sealing a £6m move at the start of July.

However, the agreement included a sell-on clause, which means the Gunners are owed up to 40% of any future sale. That has had a knock-on effect of ratcheting up the defender’s asking price.

Lazio are demanding an eye-watering sum for Tavares

Due to the amount they will owe Arsenal, the Serie A side will reportedly not consider bids below €50m (£43.5m) when the transfer window reopens in January.

Whether they will stick to that valuation, it is up for debate. Lazio are in financial difficulty and another motivation for offloading Tavares is his sizeable salary.

The 25-year-old is the fourth-highest earner on the wage bill, so they would be saving money even if they do decide to sell him for a lower transfer fee.

Do Chelsea need another left-back?

While the price tag makes this transfer somewhat unlikely anyway, another reason to question the accuracy of the rumour is the position that Tavares plays.

Blues’ head coach Enzo Maresca is pretty well covered on the left-hand side of defence. Not only does he have Marc Cucurella in the squad, he can also call upon Jorrel Hato.

The 19-year-old was only snapped up from Ajax for £38.5m last summer, so it doesn’t really make sense for Chelsea to spend even more than that for another defender who plays in the same position. It would, therefore, be a surprise if Tavares returns to English football.

Read more about the Chelsea First Team Squad for 2025/26 here