Chelsea are already worried about the bid they will put to Everton in January for defender John Stones after previously having a number offers turned down.
The Blues fear they could fail with another bid to land John Stones in the January transfer window.
The current Premier League champions have got Everton’s central defender as their top transfer target, after failing with countless big-money offers for him last summer.
Chelsea defender Papy Djilobodji was signed from French side Nantes but has played just one minute of football for Jose Mourinho’s side and is expected to leave Stamford Bridge in summer.
Stones isn’t desperate to make the switch in January, but he wanted the move to go ahead in August.
In the summer, the 21-year-old handed in a transfer request to the Everton hierarchy in a bid to force the transfer to go through but it failed.
However, it is understood that he is not settled in at Goodison Park, but talks over a new and improved contract have yet to begin.
Stones doesn’t want to interfere with his campaign as he pushes for a starting sport in Roy Hodgson’s England side for next summer’s European Championship, meaning that a deal would be more likely to happen next summer rather than in January.
The England international still has three-and-a-half years left on his £30.000-a-week contract with the Toffees.
Everton want to offer him a more lucrative deal to put Chelsea off, but now numerous big clubs are monitoring the versatile defender.
Barcelona and Spain defender Gerard Pique recently included Stones in his ‘World XI’ which ranks him highly across Europe.
The former Barnsley starlet performed impressively in Tuesday’s friendly against France, which saw England run out 2-0 victors.
On his game, Stones said: “I’ve been through a lot, I have grown in stature and age, now I want to bring something to the England team.”
Everton currently sit ninth in the Premier League table, and are just four points off a top six spot.
Chelsea are struggling so far this campaign, having lost seven of their 12 games and are in 16th place.
By Drew Darbyshire (@DarbySports)
