Marcus Rashford's future looks set to become one of the biggest transfer stories of the summer.
The England international spent last season on loan at Barcelona and, for a while, it appeared there was a realistic chance the Spanish giants would look to make the move permanent.
However, that is now highly unlikely after Barcelona agreed a deal worth £70 million with Newcastle United for Anthony Gordon.
According to other reports, Manchester United are holding out for a fee close to £30 million, but with Barcelona only prepared to pay around £13 million, it doesn't look like Rashford will be going back to the Nou Camp next season.
With such a sizeable gap between the two valuations, Rashford's representatives are now exploring alternative options and Chelsea have reportedly emerged as one of the clubs expected to show interest.
Chelsea expected to enter race for Marcus Rashford
According to the Daily Mail's printed version, via Metro, Rashford's camp believe both Chelsea and Arsenal could enter the race to sign him this summer.
Although unsurprising to see the Blues links, it's actually not hard to imagine why they might consider the possibility.
Even after spending heavily in recent years, there remains a feeling the squad still lacks proven wingers capable of delivering goals and assists at the highest level. It is for this reason there is also interest in AC Milan's Rafael Leao.
Rashford may not have hit the heights expected of him over the last couple of seasons, but his track record in the Premier League and more recently, La Liga, remains impressive and he is still only entering what should be the prime of his career.
Whether Chelsea would actually want to bring in the 29-year-old remains unknown though. The club doesn't have the best track record when it comes to signing Manchester United's throwaways.
Alejandro Garnacho arrived from Old Trafford last year in a deal worth £40 million but is already rumoured to be up for sale after he managed to score just one Premier League goal in his opening season at Stamford Bridge.
Nevertheless, Rashford is a different player, and has the potential to be a cheap and impactful addition, and almost-certainly one Alonso will improve.
European duo could also register an interest
It's worth adding that Chelsea and Arsenal are not the only clubs to be mentioned alongside Rashford's inevitable Manchester United exit.
There is hope among Rashford's representatives that both Real Madrid and Bayern Munich could eventually enter the conversation. Although ambitious, not impossible, especially given how well he did at Barcelona.
Both European giants are always on the lookout for quality attackers and seldom overpay for the privledge. Rashford fits this category perfectly, so it wouldn't be surprising at all to see either, or both, clubs ask the question.
Add us as a preferred source on Google