Chelsea have as good as clinched the signing of Andre Schurrle from Bayer Leverkusen, with young playmaker Kevin De Bruyne set to go the other way.
Schurrle has been the subject of Chelsea's interest for quite a while now, with Leverkusen reportedly rejecting multiple offers from the European champions.
However, Chelsea have persisted with the move, and seemed to have finally sealed a deal, which will see the Blues pay €12-15 million (£10-13 million, $15-20 million) plus De Bruyne, according to the Bild.
The move has been coming for a while, with widespread reports in Germany suggesting Chelsea had reignited their interest in Schurrle, who wanted to move to Stamford Bridge last summer, but was asked to stay for at least another season.
Schurrle, seen as one of the brightest talents in Germany, refused to comment on the Chelsea transfer when asked by Bild, but Leverkusen manager Sami Hyypia said he was hopeful of keeping his player at the club for next season.
"We will certainly try and keep him," he told reporters. "Andre has shown how important he is for us.
"If he performs like against Dusseldorf (when he netted a double), this would be very good."
Hyypia also admitted his interest in De Bruyne, who is having a stellar season on loan with Werder Bremen.
"He is a good player," the Liverpool legend was quoted as saying by the Daily Express, which also reported that Schurrle was set to make a move to Stamford Bridge. "And good players are always interesting players."
This move, if confirmed, will be met with some worry by Chelsea fans, who have been calling for the hierarchy to give De Bruyne a chance, after the Belgian's impressive campaign in the Bundesliga.
The 21-year-old was bought by the club on deadline day in January 2012 from Genk, where he spent the rest of the season.
The Belgian international was then sent out on a season-long loan to Bremen, where he has excelled with some impressive performances.
However, Schurrle has also been tipped to be a big player in the future and with Chelsea needing a forward who can also play down the middle, the 22-year-old might prove to be an astute purchase.
