Everton are reportedly considering letting Michael Keane leave Goodison Park on loan when the January transfer window opens.
And that could alert some of the Blues' Premier League rivals, while a move abroad has also been touted.
The 29-year-old centre-back has found himself pushed to first-team margins after Frank Lampard brought James Tarkowski and Conor Coady to Merseyside in the summer, with the pair going on the establish themselves as a first-choice partnership.