Chelsea keeping tabs on player with ‘great interest’ – Backup lined up if January deal doesn’t work out

In the last two days, Italian media have reported Inter Milan, Napoli and Juventus have an interest in Everton’s Lucas Digne.

Chelsea have now joined the Serie A trio in the chase for the Toffees left-back and the Blues have arrived on the scene following a major setback to Ben Chilwell.

The ex-Leicester City man picked up an injury in the Champions League win over Juventus last month. On Tuesday, the west London club confirmed Chilwell go under the knife after the “conservative rehab approach” didn’t result in any progress.

Chilwell is set to miss the rest of the season, leaving Thomas Tuchel will Marcos Alonso as the only recognised left-back in the squad. In order to provide cover and competition for the Spaniard, the Champions League winners ‘think of Digne’.

That’s according to Sky Italia, who say the Chelsea management are watching the 28-year-old defender’s profile with ‘great interest’.

The France international has not featured for the Merseyside club since their 4-1 defeat to Liverpool and that’s because he is ‘now at loggerheads’ with Rafael Benítez. Tuchel’s side would like to take him on a loan deal until the end of this term.

If the deal for Digne doesn’t work out, Chelsea will look to recall one of Ian Maatsen or Emerson Palmieri, who are currently on loan at Coventry City and Lyon respectively.