Nathaniel Chalobah could leave Chelsea this summer, with contract talks continuing to drag on.
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The 22-year-old, who has one-year left on his current deal, is unconvinced that remaining at Chelsea is the best option for his career as the club prepare to spend £35.2m on AS Monaco midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko.
Bakayoko and Chalobah are similar types of midfielders, and the academy product wants firm assurances that he will play under Antonio Conte next season.
Chelsea hope to renew Chalobah's contract but they may be unable to meet the England Under-21 international's demands. A loan move for Chalobah isn't an option due to the lack of time left on his contract and it would be best for all parties if the player left permanently this summer, rather than on a free transfer.
He will return for pre-season on July 7, despite the fact that he picked up a groin injury in England's penalty shootout defeat to Germany in the Under-21 European Championships.
Getty ImagesChalobah is thought to be asking for £60,000-a-week as well as more game time, which would put him on the same wage as Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and is a huge increase on his current £5,000-a-week wage.
The situation is complicated by Chalobah's younger brother, Trevoh, who is one of the most talented young players in England. Trevoh played a huge part in winning an unprecedented treble with Chelsea's youth teams and the Blues would like to keep their prospect happy due to his potential.
Chalobah's close friend Nathan Ake has already left the club in a £20m deal and Chelsea will need to keep hold of at least four of their academy players due to the homegrown rules in the Champions League next season.