According to the latest claims from French outlet Le10 Sport, not always the most reliable source in the country, Chelsea are interested in signing highly-rated defender Boubacar Kamara from Marseille in the summer.
Premier League rivals Man City are also claimed to be in the race to sign the 20-year-old, who is widely regarded as one of the hottest young talents in the French top-flight.
Born in France to parents of Senegalese descent, Kamara rose through the youth ranks of Marseille before making his senior debut during the 2016-17 season and has since established himself as one of the mainstays of Andre Villas-Boas' starting eleven.
The 20-year-old, who is capable of playing as a central defender and also as a holding midfielder, has already drawn comparisons with Brazil and PSG veteran Thiago Silva for his well-rounded attributes.
The report adds that Kamara is willing to stay put at Marseille, who finished runners-up to PSG and secured Champions League qualification for the upcoming campaign following the premature termination of Ligue 1 due to the coronavirus crisis.
Here's a clip of Kamara's goal vs Strasbourg:
However, with all clubs across the continent facing the financial ramifications of the pandemic, Kamara, who has a contract until 2022, could be sold in the summer to balance the books, given that he is one of Marseille's most saleable assets.
The French U21 international has clocked up a total of 79 appearances across all competitions since graduating from Marseille's youth ranks.
Meanwhile, Chelsea's pursuit of a new centre-back has been well-documented ahead of the summer window, with Dayot Upamecano and Gabriel Magalhaes understood to be among the Blues' rumoured targets.
However, Lampard might be forced to turn his attention to Kamara after Upamecano ruled out a move away from Leipzig in the upcoming window last week.
