Chelsea are reportedly interested in offering Philippe Coutinho a route out of Barcelona as part of a loan deal that would see them cover his entire salary.
Coutinho struggled to adapt to life at Camp Nou following a £142m switch from Liverpool in January 2018 and has spent this campaign on loan at Bayern Munich.
The Bavarians have an option to buy clause, which stands at £109m, but are unlikely to activate it when the transfer window eventually reopens after the coronavirus pandemic.
Coutinho has been linked with a Premier League return amid interest from Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea.
Reports have claimed Barcelona are holding out for an £80m fee for the playmaker.
With clubs seemingly unlikely to pay that much for a player who turns 29 next year, Barcelona could loan him out again next season.
And Spanish newspaper Sport say Chelsea are willing to pay a £11.5m(€13m) loan fee and cover Coutinho’s entire wages, which are around £250,000-a-week.
Blues boss Frank Lampard is looking to bolster his attacking options this summer and has already signed Ajax winger Hakim Ziyech for £33m, a deal which will be made official on July 1.
Coutinho, who is able to play out wide or as an attacking midfielder, would only add more firepower to Chelsea’s frontline.